Lost World
by Dubh
Summary: In search for her world she found another one, one she'll do anything to protect
1. New World

It's a beautiful day outside. Birds are singing, flowers are blooming…  
Or rather it was?

I slowly opened my eyes as I felt a few raindrops fall on my face. My whole body was aching, through my blurry vision I saw crimson stains on the flowers next to me. I did my best to move from that spot, because the cold rain was the last thing I needed at the time. Once far enough for the water to not reach me I took out a first aid kit from my bag and started treating several not deep cuts on my legs and arms. My dad, being in the army, told me some stories about him being in a few situations like this and taught me a thing or two about survival. Smiling, I mentally gave him and a thumbs up with a quiet "good job" and "thank you".  
The treatment was quite unpleasant, so I tried to sort out my thoughts and memories to distract myself from pain.

The reason for my little adventure was to find my little brother, Frisk, who went missing 2 days ago. It's been 7 years that I've been taking care of Frisk by myself. After mom passed away we only had each other, since dad almost never was home. And now the most important person in my life was gone. The police was doing their best, at least that's what they told me. But I couldn't shake off the feeling that it wasn't gonna go as they planned, so I decided to search for myself.

Frisk liked to explore the mountain we lived next to, Mt. Ebott. It was the only place I knew a lot better than the police did, since I pretty much spent my life there, besides I knew where Frisk liked to play and all the little paths he could've taken and even the ones he didn't yet know about. I didn't want to waste any more time waiting, so with all the necessary supplies in my bag and the army knife that dad gave me on my belt I headed out. I was climbing for about 30 minutes when I reached a cave. As I was getting a bit tired I decided to take a break in there, but the moment my foot touched the ground a seemingly bottomless pit opened up. The next thing I knew I was falling into pure darkness.

"All done" I muttered to myself getting up and looking around.  
The hole I fell through was too high up and there was no way to climb that cliff. There was no connection to make a call either, so I had no other choice, but to explore the cave I was in.  
The first thing I noticed was the bed of flowers I fell onto. It probably softened my landing, but that sure as hell wasn't enough to keep me from breaking a couple of bones, or a couple of dozen of them, let alone keep me alive.  
I couldn't really figure much out, so I decided to just appreciate the fact that I'm alive and well.

From the little light there was I could see the far wall of the cavern and a path in the middle. As I was getting closer the clouds blocked the sun completely and I could hardly see anything in front of me.  
"So… the time had finally come for my flashlight to _shine_!"

"Why did I say that?" – The fallowing facepalm was inevitable.  
"Well… time to _lighten_ up the mood" - I said as I flicked the switch turning on the flashlight. Now that I could actually see my surroundings clearly I went on exploring everything there was to explore. One of the walls was covered in weird symbols and ancient glyphs, it was pretty to say the least. I stared at the wall for at least 10 minutes before turning away. At the end of the hallway, on the opposite side was the only way out: a massive gateway covered in similar symbols. On the very top I could see a crest of some sort… I had no idea what it was, or what it meant, but it looked neat.  
As I went through the gateway I found myself in a big hall. In the middle there was a lone golden flower peacefully resting under the rain. A few weak rays of sunlight that were able to break through the clouds were shining at it, I felt a bit lonely myself seeing that.  
I didn't think much of it at first, but as I got closer I noticed something weird. The flower seemed to have… a face.

As I approached the flower moved a bit and looked at me. I flinched a little but stayed calm. Now I could clearly see a face with black eyes and a tiny mouth. I would call it adorable, but given the circumstances and the fact that I was in reality and not in an animation or a video game, it was creepy.  
"Howdy, I'm Flowey. Flowey the flower." - A weak voice could be heard from the flower as a wide smile appeared on its face.  
"… Sup" – That was the only thing I could come up with, as I started to back away slowly trying my best not to show that I'm actually freaking out.  
I was about to leave when the flower gave me a piece of information I needed so much.  
"You're new to the Underground, aren'tcha? You must be really confused, I guess I'll teach you how things work around here."  
Flowey stopped talking looking a bit confused himself when he noticed my most beautiful "not giving a single shit" expression.

Flower or not he was my only source of information at the moment. I needed to know what's going on, and most importantly I needed to know if Frisk was here.  
"What about the underground?" – I asked trying to, at least seem kind.  
Flowey gave me a brief explanation about how there was a war and how humans sealed monsters under this mountain centuries ago.  
"I have another questions if you don't mind" – I was smiling to not scare the flower, but the tone of my voice turned out a bit too serious. After a moment of silence the flower nodded, so I continued.  
"In the past couple of days have you seen a child fall here? A little boy…"  
Flowey flinched at the question, fear was now clearly visible in his eyes as his expression changed with my detailed description of Frisk. At that point I didn't need an answer so I went on.  
"Where is he?" – I asked trying to stay calm, yet terrified of the answer I might hear.  
"He left the Ruins… I don't know where he went. I don't really know what's beyond that point. All I know is that it's too dangerous and once outside you can't come back."  
"How do I… get there?"  
Flowey's expression changed from scared to desperate with a tiny hint of anger.  
"I'm telling you, it's too dangerous! The monsters are on hunt for humans right now. They'll kill you on the spot!" – Flowey almost yelled, but it didn't bother me one bit, neither did his words.  
"Do you really expect me to just stay here in safety, knowing my brother might be hurt right now, or… worse?"  
Flowey was now looking at the ground, he didn't look at me, didn't say anything. I didn't either as I started walking towards the second gateway behind him.

"You don't have to worry, I can find the exit myself… monsters don't scare me" – That last part came out as a whisper. Of course it wasn't true. I was terrified for my life, but more than that for Frisk. But I knew I had to stay strong, I couldn't let this get to me if I wanted to get out of here. If what Flowey said about the monsters was true I had more reasons to stay calm and collected.  
I closed my eyes, took several deep breaths to calm myself and took a step forward.

As the purple shades of the next room met my gaze

I could feel my heart fill with courage.

 **note:**

Hey everyone, I'm sorry the first chapter was this short, I promise they'll get longer.  
This is the first story I ever wrote, so any tips and constructive criticism would be appreciated. I hope everyone enjoys this journey.


	2. The Ruins

The purple Hall in front of me was so different from the cave I came from it looked like a completely different dimension. That drastic change was quite amazing actually.  
White staircases on either sides of the hall were leading up to a dark doorway. I glanced back for the last time, but didn't find what I was looking for. The flower was gone.

"Well there's only one way to go" – I said to myself taking the stairs up.  
The next room was a lot smaller with several buttons on the floor and switch on the wall. Four of the buttons were pressed, and pressing the other two didn't do anything so I just went on.  
After exiting an annoyingly long hallway I met my very first monster, aside from Flowey. A white frog at a size of a small dog was hopping around in red leaves. As I got closer it stopped and was just sitting there motionless. Ignoring the frog I entered the room next to it. There was nothing, but a pedestal with a bowl in the room, the bowl was filled with candy… also known as the essence of life. I couldn't resist, so I ate one and took another for the road. The feeling, as I chewed on the candy was weird, it simply melted in my mouth in mere seconds.  
In the next few rooms I found some unusual and, in a way, interesting puzzles, which I solved with no problem with the exception of a couple of tricky ones. I also "encountered" a frog, similar to the first one. It hopped closer looking angry and it seemed to be ready to fight. After a moment of looking at each other I practically yelled "You're so adorable!" before I realized what the words even meant. The frog seemed flattered, though I doubt it understood me. It handed me a gold coin and left.  
I watched the frog hop away as I was taking it all in.  
"I made a frog blush. My work is done here." – I said in a dramatic voice, before I went my merry way.

I encountered several other monsters too, but fighting them wasn't really necessary. They would leave me alone AND give me money if I acted a certain way and was just nice to them.  
One of the monsters was quite unique. A black ghost in headphones was lying in red leaves pretending to sleep. When I tried to get past him, he instantly got up looking really annoyed.  
The ghost started talking so fast my brain could barely keep up. He was complaining about how annoying and stupid people around him are, me including, and how no one appreciates his brilliant music. I tried to respond a couple of times, but he wouldn't listen, so I gave up. After talking for a bit he stared at me for a moment with crimson eyes and simply vanished into thin air leaving me to question reality on my own.

The next room was a tiny one, with several spider webs and a sign that read Spider Bake Sale. At that point I had quite a few coins, so I decided to get something. I left some coins in one of the webs, a spider crawled down and handed me two donuts. This was the first time in my entire life that I found a spider "cute".  
I turned around with a donut in my mouth, about to leave when I saw Flowey blocking my way.  
"You can't go there now" – he whispered.  
He looked serious, so I decided to do as he says for now. I nodded and sat down near the entrance and Flowey popped next to me. He seemed to be able to move through the earth, or something like that.  
"Did something happen outside?" – I asked as quietly as I could.  
"Toriel, the former queen of monsters, is near."  
"I assume she's scary, since we're whispering... Can't I just talk to her?" – I asked offering him the other donut I had, he took it without looking.  
"Forget it, she won't listen. She left the castle after her son died by the hand of humans and hid here in the Ruins. She wants them dead as much as the others."  
Flowey was now munching on the pastry holding it with leaves. Looking at him I couldn't help, but smile at how adorable he looked. Silence once again filled the room. I could now hear distant footsteps, which I assumed were Toriel's.  
When we finished eating, it was silent outside, so we decided to move. To my surprise Flowey wanted to come with me. I didn't mind, so I let him climb on my arm, from there he moved to my head and buried himself in my hair saying it was fluffy and comfortable.

The halls were now completely empty, my footsteps echoing from the walls, even my breath and heartbeat seemed to be giving away my position. The air all around was filled with dread. With every breath I took the eerie atmosphere got heavier and heavier, to the point where I was giving my everything to remain calm.  
A puzzle with colorful switches that would've been fun to solve normally was making me paranoid now. With every click of a switch I would hide behind a pillar or a wall, praying, scared of whatever was hiding in the next room… scared of Toriel.  
Next thing I knew she was there. At the far end of a long hallway I saw a woman, a monster with goat-like features. She was tall, a pure white fur covering her body, her eyes were of beautiful deep crimson color. It seemed like her cold yet proud gaze could see right through me. She was wearing a long, black worn out dress with a red crest on her chest. The same crest I saw on top of gateway at the beginning of the ruins. I didn't need to ask to know who that was.  
"If you want to leave this place you'll have to go through her house" – Flowey said in a low voice. He was now out of his little hideout and hanging around on my head like a hair accessory.

My heart sank at those words, since I was really hoping I could avoid her entirely.  
Fortunately I was hidden well enough for her to not see me…  
… I was behind a wall, the fact that she didn't notice my presence was a miracle.  
As Toriel took the path to her right I sneaked out and followed her. When I looked around the corner I could see her walking towards a nice looking house. I sat there, my heart beating like crazy, waiting for her to leave. It seemed like several minutes have passed when it's only been a few seconds. When the goat lady was finally out of my sight I came out of my superb hiding spot and followed her.  
In front the house there was an old tree, black in color with few red leaves scattered around it. I quickly hid behind it when I noticed a familiar white fur in one of the windows. In a few seconds Flowey said it was safe to come out, so I did.  
The window to the right was open, so I sneaked in through it to avoid making any unnecessary noise. I was now standing in a long, neatly decorated hallway with three doors I didn't bother to check. The air was filled with smell of sugar, butter and something I wasn't familiar with.  
"Go to the left and down the stairs" – Flowey whispered. Not wanting to waste any more time I did as he said.  
With every step I was tensing up more trying my best to not make any sound, even my breathing could hardly be heard. Occasionally a noise could be heard from where Toriel was that would make me stop in defensive position grabbing the handle of my knife. Once I finally got to the bottom of the stairs I let out a small sigh feeling somewhat relieved.

Fighting the urge to make a joke I made my way into the creepy and dark hallway of freedom, at least according to Flowey.  
Why did I even trust him? For all I knew he could be luring me into a trap to kill me himself. Yet here I was doing something he told me without even questioning it. I simply believed that the little dude won't lie to me, I guess I wanted to believe that he can be trusted.  
"Why did you come with me, Flowey?" – I asked breaking the silence that seemed to have lasted forever.  
The flower was taken aback by the sudden question, but still answered.  
"I… I've been here for years. Trust me I wanted to leave for quite a long time, but I'm weak, I won't be able to survive there on my own. The kids that that fell here before you were quite weak too, to be honest I never thought any of them would get past Toriel. But you… you're strong. This might sound weird, but I feel safe with you."  
I couldn't see his face, but I heard genuine joy and excitement in his voice as he said those last words, it brought a smile to my face too.  
We chat a bit before we got to a huge stone gate. It should've been impossible to open it on my own, yet I pushed without thinking. To my surprise it worked, but my joy didn't last. The door made a loud noise as it opened, soon enough we heard distant footsteps that were getting close way too fast.

I didn't look back to know it was Toriel. She must've been furious, but I didn't wait to find out. At that moment I stopped thinking, my instincts took over as I started running as fast as I could. Seconds later we heard an angry growl behind us as three fireballs flew by.  
"Flowey hide!" – I yelled dodging several more.  
I could more or less hear the fireballs approaching so it wasn't too hard to dodge, but I still got hit a couple of times. Before long another stone gate came into view, I didn't think too long before slamming the gate with my shoulder. It opened as easily as the last one and I practically fell into snow.


	3. Friends

I sat in the snow panting heavily as I looked around. There were blood stains on the snow in front of me, apparently some of the wounds reopened which wasn't surprising considering the fact that I just slammed into a gate... made of stone.  
The gate was now shut tight, as I glanced back at it realization hit me like boulder: what if she comes after me? I quickly got up scanning my surroundings for a place to hide. I held my hand in front of me letting several drops of blood fall on the snow in hope of deceiving my pursuer, while I hid behind the bushes to my right and Flowey made sure my footprints weren't visible.  
There was nothing else to do but wait, so I sat next to a video camera questioning why it would be here. Soon the gate opened slightly letting me see two glowing eyes. I held my breath while Toriel was examining the blood stains and the forest around us desperately. When she finally gave up and left I sighed in relief knowing that the goat lady won't try to murder us any time soon.  
I still had to be cautious, so I waited a bit longer and instead of taking the main road I decided to go through the woods. Looking back at the bush I whispered a quiet "so long, president" and went on feeling proud of my stupidity.  
Flowey seemed to have fallen asleep beneath my jacket and hair and once again I was left alone with my thoughts.  
"How is it snowing here anyway? There seems to be a sky too... Could I be outside? Oh wait… no one can leave… right" – I sighed to myself.

I've been walking for a while, but there was nothing on or along the road, except for a smashed branch. There were no monsters either.  
Soon I reached a pit of some sort. It was too wide to jump across and there were no branches I could attach my rope to. There was a bridge on the road, but leaving the safety of the thick forest didn't seem appealing to me. I looked around: no monster, yet I felt uneasy as if I was being watched. But there was no other choice, so I hesitantly got out and ran across the bridge as fast and quietly as I could. Once on the other side I ran towards the forest again, but didn't make it. I fell as a sharp pain pierced my leg and my shoulder. At a glance I saw a bone sticking out of it. I knew I had to get away, but when I tried to stand up, I was… floating covered in some kind of red aura. I saw a dark figure with a single glowing red eye before blacking out.

I was drifting between dream and reality not staying in one world for too long. During those short moments of being awake I could hear Flowey's worried voice whispering to me, but I couldn't get ahold of what he was saying.  
When I finally woke up I found myself in a super messy room with clothes lying all around. There also was a tornado made of garbage and dirty socks, I decided not to question it. The pain was partially gone, but I was still too exhausted to get up. So I stayed there lying for another twenty minutes before the door opened.  
A tall, grumpy looking skeleton with sharp teeth walked in holding bandages. He was wearing some kind of a costume that looked like a super villain suit from a comic. It included a pair of black pants with red belt, red knee high boots and a weird looking black top with pointy shoulder pads and a red cape. Part of his spine was visible from under the top, which made his image even weirder.

"I SEE YOU'RE FINALLY AWAKE" – The skeleton yelled in a slightly high pitched voice.  
"HOW ARE YOU FEELING, HUMAN?" – He continued with a lot more lightened up expression as I sat up.

"I'm ok, thank you… umm… where am I exactly?" – I asked with a bit confused expression.  
"YOU'RE IN THE TOWN OF SNOWDIN, IN THE HOUSE OF THE TERRYFYING PAPYRUS! YOU'RE SAFE HERE" – he said looking proud as a non-existing wind somehow lifted his cape a little.  
It looked like he was the one who saved me and even though "terrifying" and "safe" wasn't the most reassuring combination of words I trusted him.  
"IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA TO CHANGE YOUR BANDAGES" – said the skeleton putting the bandages on my lap.  
"It's kinda awkward to say this, but… can I use the shower? I would like to wash my wounds first"  
I felt embarrassed asking something like that from a complete stranger, but it was something I actually needed. Papyrus nodded and offered to show me the way to the bathroom. I got up and followed him out of the room.  
We were currently on the second floor, when I looked down I felt relieved. Flowey was there sitting in a pot, but he didn't notice me as it seemed like he was talking to someone. As I entered a neat and clean room the skeleton pointed at another door and yelled "THERE IT IS!" I thanked him and was about to enter when he handed me a towel and some clean clothes before leaving me alone.

My clothes had several cuts and holes all over and were pretty fucked up by now. I took them off and threw into a laundry basket quite literally as I started examining my wounds in the mirror. Some of the minor ones were already closing up, but the one on my shoulder looked pretty bad. Despite that I could move my arm with no problem whatsoever, it didn't hurt that much and wasn't bleeding either. The warm water of the shower actually felt nice, weird enough it didn't hurt my wounds all that much. After washing off all the dried blood and relaxing my muscles a bit I got out. Bandaging my wounds took a while, but the end result was pretty satisfying.  
The clothes Papyrus gave me were too big, but it was definitely better then what I had. The white shirt looked like a dress on me, while the shorts fit surprisingly well, except they were pants now.

As I walked out I saw another skeleton in the room that seemed to be… waiting for me?  
This one was a lot shorter, about the same height as me. He was wearing a red turtleneck with black jacket, black shorts and red sneakers. This one too had sharp teeth with a single golden one.  
Despite the wide grin he looked quite pissed. It didn't take long for me to recognize the dark silhouette that attacked me. Now instead of a crimson eye he had 2 small white dots in his eye sockets.  
"A little explanation would be nice" – I said starting to feel awkward from his stare.  
The skeleton didn't respond, he just raised his "eyebrow".  
"From what happened in the forest I assume your intensions weren't the best, so how come I'm being taken care of? And why are you here?" – With that last question I took a step back.  
"This is my house too, you know" – he hissed. After my quite "oh…" he continued.  
"If it was up to me you would've been dead by now, missy"  
His voice was deep and could even be calming if not the threatening tone.  
"My brother's stupid "standards" piss me off. He decided to take care of ya because you're his "friend's sister". Heh, as if y…"  
I bolted out of the room before he could finish his sentence, but I did notice his eyes turn black for a split second.

I ran down the stairs too excited to care about anything.  
"Sis?" - A familiar, cheerful voice filled the room.  
Frisk was standing not far from me looking happier than ever. There wasn't much to say, I simply ran to my brother and hugged him tight falling on my knees. The tears of happiness and relief were streaming down my face, while Frisk was giggling. Being underground and among monsters suddenly didn't seem so scary anymore.  
When we finally parted I looked at Papyrus wiping my tears. A quite "thank you" could be heard as he nodded in response.  
Frisk brought the pot with Flowey proudly telling how he became friends with him. The three of us had a short chat about how I got here before they went back to the kitchen to help Papyrus. I even learned the short skeleton's name without asking him, what an accomplishment. Apparently Frisk stopped the skeletons from sending me to their king, when Papyrus learned I was his sister he agreed on taking care of me.

It was getting a bit chilly, so I went upstairs and entered the room I was originally in. since I didn't take any clothes with me I looked inside the wardrobe full of hope. The first things I noticed were several turtlenecks and jackets hanging around. I sighed as my suspicions about the owner of the room were confirmed. The jackets looked cozy so I took one, it was dark purple. Needless to say it was too big, but really warm and comfortable. I zipped it, put on the hood and hands in pockets exited the room once again feeling happy.  
With nothing better to do I decided to look around the house. The only interesting thing on the second floor was a painting of a bone in red and black tones. The hall on the first floor wasn't that big. A green worn out couch, with a certain lazy skeleton on it, was by the wall right next to a big window, a TV was standing by the opposite wall.  
"You don't mind, do you?" – I asked pointing at the jacket.  
Sans had a lot more relaxed and calm expression as he looked in my direction. He shrugged with a lazy "nah" and chuckled.  
Don't really know why, but I smiled slightly as I walked past him. The kitchen, that was quite noisy at the moment, was right beneath Sans' room. In front of it was a table with nothing but a rock on it. It was placed in a small plate and was covered in sprinkles.  
"That's my pet rock" – said Sans that was now standing next to me.  
"Aww. That's so cute. It's really lively, isn't it?"  
Sans rolled his eyes looking away, I snickered as I felt slight heat on my cheeks…  
Wait, what? Was I blushing? Nah, there's no way. It's my imagination, yap that's definitely it.  
A loud "THE DINNER IS READY!" broke me out of my thoughts.

The lightened up and cheery mood during the dinner felt really nice after all the tension and stress of being murdered from before. The conversations mainly consisted of Papyrus bragging about how great and terrifying he was, Sans making pretty bad puns and jokes and me being sarcastic. Luckily two from our gang actually expressed thoughts and ideas. The pasta Papyrus made was really good, but unfortunately I couldn't learn the recipe, since it included magic.

The time flew by fast and before we knew it the clock hit eleven. I cleaned everything after us and Frisk with Flowey did the dishes. Papyrus got a pillow and a blanket for me to sleep on the couch, as I insisted. Sans was pretty happy with my decision, so as a thanks he stayed in his room never to be seen again.

I was getting ready to sleep when Frisk asked to stay with me for the night. He did that whenever he felt uneasy for one reason or another.  
We talked for a while telling each other about our adventures. Frisk told me all about how he solved Papyrus' weird puzzles and befriended him, but what really amazed me was the fact that he was able to talk his way through Toriel.  
Soon we fell asleep wrapped in the big, fluffy blanket as I hummed Frisk's favorite tune.


	4. Snowy Town

I woke up from crunching sound right next to my ear, the first thing I saw when I opened my eyes was a skeleton leg. It took me several seconds to understand what was going on: Sans was sitting right next to me with a bag of chips in his hand, lost in thoughts, my shoulder was now resting on his, but he didn't seem to have noticed or simply didn't care. "I should've known better then to sleep sitting up" – I thought to myself, as I stretched cracking my back and looked around. Sans now had an expression of pure shock on his face, Frisk and Flowey were still asleep and Papyrus was nowhere to be found.  
After thinking about it the other day I decided to try my best to be friendly with Sans. I knew what I was getting myself into before coming here, I knew all too well that monsters will try to kill me, so I couldn't blame him for attacking me. Besides, I knew that in this place I needed allies more than anything.

"Good morning" – I muttered in still sleepy voice, to which I got a "morning" of the same caliber.  
"Sans, can I ask you something?" – In respond he moved his head slightly showing interest, I continued – "why did you change your attitude towards me? You weren't exactly friendly with me at first, even threatened me, but several minutes later you were completely calm" – I decided to not mention the smile and the small chat we had. It bothered me, but I knew he might tease me for that.  
"Your soul is quite interesting… Let's just say I decided to give you a chance."  
"That doesn't explain much. What about my soul?" – He ignored my question - "you're not gonna say anymore, are you?" - The only answer I got was a quite chuckle. Seeing that this was meaningless to continue I gave up for now.  
Getting up I asked Sans if I could use the kitchen to which he nodded and actually came with me.  
"You might need some help to get a hang of it. Cooking here would probably differ from what you know. In return I want some of that food, I'm hungry."  
"Deal" - I said in a dramatic voice.

After rummaging the kitchen we managed to find something other than pasta and decided to make pancakes. Or rather I decided and Sans just went along with it… doing nothing, but giving "advices" the whole time. Cooking monster food was actually fun. It was mainly the same old cooking, except sometimes the ingredients did things they weren't supposed to do. The flour changed color when I added stuff to it and the sugar had a silver shine to it, while cooking the hot oil looked like small fireworks. To my disappointment once ready the pancakes looked nothing special, they did turned out pretty yummy though and, according to Sans, had some healing qualities. I was able to find some honey too, which made our breakfast even better.  
We were almost finished when Frisk came in holding Flowey. He put the pot on one of the chairs and without saying anything sat next to it. The kid was sometimes grumpy after waking up, so I didn't say anything and pretended I didn't notice.  
After the delicious breakfast Sans went to work.  
Being left alone in a practically empty house didn't seem fun, and since I didn't see the town and was too curious about it, the three of us decided to go out and look around. Putting on my boots and the purple jacket I picked up my bag, the key Papyrus left for us and headed out.  
The cold air instantly filled my lungs as I gasped at the sight in front of me. The town was surrounded by fir forest, everything around us was covered in thick layer of snow that was glittering ever so slightly, the houses decorated with colorful Christmas lights looked cozy and welcoming. On the main road, in the middle of the town there was a Christmas tree, several monsters could be seen near it.  
"I'll show you around!" – said Frisk cheerfully taking my hand.

To the right, next to skeletons' house was a library. Ironically the sign was misspelled. I decided to check it out later, since Frisk obviously wasn't interested in it right now. Passing the library Frisk turned right and ran ahead excited about something.  
"Sis, over here! Look!" – He yelled pointing at something.  
Getting closer I saw a big rock with a mustache and two small ones next to it wearing scarfs.  
"This annoying kid again. He's been running around here all day yesterday and now he brought others with him?" – The rock was visibly annoyed. The only thing hinting at the source of the voice was his mustache moving in sync with the words. His slight British accent made the whole situation even more amusing.  
"He probably likes your mustache. It's stunning after all" – I replied in a teasing tone, which he, apparently, didn't notice.  
The rock, completely satisfied by the compliment, didn't complain any more.  
"Well, that was easy." – I whispered to myself turning around to have a look at the rest of this place. It was a small area with a couple of houses with round doors and windows. To me they looked like comfortable hobbit holes.  
We hung out with the rock family for a while and even made a snowman while figuring out the reason behind a wolf's ice throwing activity. Not sure if the reason was the sudden appearance of a female or the wolf was simply happy to see new people, but he would show off his muscles whenever we looked at him.  
Our next stop was the Christmas tree. It was decorated neatly with lights and colorful toys of different shapes. Several presents were lined up underneath it addressed from various locals to each other.  
I said hi to two bears and a bunny lady and even had a chat with a yellow armless monster kid for a bit, while Frisk and Flowey were looking through the presets, without opening them of course. The monsters didn't seem to like me being a human and all, but they weren't filled with hatred either. Going through the inn and a shop, that were ran by bunny ladies, and talking to various monsters on the way I realized that the folk here was actually peaceful and nice… at least most of them were.

Munching on cinnamon buns that I bought by Frisk's request the three of us went out of the town to explore a bit more. I stood for good ten minutes on the bridge outside Snowdin watching the scenery. The valley beneath was covered in thick forest as far as the eye could see with a wide river flowing across.

Frisk showed me a couple of Papyrus' puzzles he solved. The first one was set on ice, the idea was to turn all the large "X"s into "O"s. As we slid across gracefully I went a bit off the course and fell from the side into snow. Getting up I saw a snow sculpture, it had a body of a buff guy with Papyrus' head on top. Getting back up and following Frisk I saw the next snow masterpiece: the sculpture looked like a serpent swimming through the snow and ground making arcs over our heads… except it was a dog head with a neck longer then the Great Wall of China.  
I couldn't help but laugh at the next puzzle. The ground was supposed to be covered with colorful tiles, each color having different qualities, but apparently everything went horribly wrong. The tiles were mainly pink with several red ones here and there. After making fun of the puzzle for a bit we moved on.  
Getting past two more X O puzzles we got to the fun part.  
First puzzle was spaghetti… just spaghetti in a plate. It looked tasty, but we didn't have a chance to eat some, the food was so cold it was stuck to the table. I managed to break a small bit and put it near a mouse hole in hope it will eat it.  
The next one showed Sans' brilliance to its fullest. It was a word search puzzle that Frisk actually tried to solve, before giving up.

Soon it started to get dark, so we decided to head back. As both Frisk and Flowey were getting sleepy we walked in silence for a while and I had time to rethink everything that happened during the time I've been here. That's when I realized that something wasn't adding up.  
"Frisk, how did you end up here, in the Underground, I mean?"  
Instead of helping Frisk's answer made me even more confused and more questions popped in my head as I listened.  
"I wanted to get to the blue cave to play" – he started – "But when I was in the flower field I tripped and fell here. But, sis there was no hole there, right?" – He looked at me in confusion, I shook my head.  
The flower field was quite far from where I fell, how could we end up in the exact same spot? More than that random holes appeared out of nowhere in span of two days. I got confused and lost in thoughts. When I came to we were by Grillby's bar in Snowdin and Frisk was pulling on my sleeve.  
"Who is Paps talking to?" – He asked hiding behind my back.  
As I looked I noticed a tall, dangerous looking monster in heavy armor right in front of the house. Papyrus was visibly sweating while explaining something to the stranger.  
I knew exactly what to do to not be spotted. Telling Frisk to be as quite as possible I led him through the woods behind Grillby's. As we got to the rock family that was still chilling in the same spot, we crossed the path and, finding ourselves in surrounding of trees again, moved towards the house.  
We were almost there when I had the stupidest idea yet that would probably make the situation a lot safer. I took off my shoes, took out the rope and with Flowey around my neck and Frisk on my back got out of the woods and made my way to the house. Needless to say it was way too cold barefooted, but we were completely silent.  
I attached a rock to the rope and threw it to the balcony on the second floor. The rope wrapped itself neatly around the railing, the little noise it made drowned in Papyrus' loud rambling. From what I got he was telling the person… monster how nice and harmless we were.  
With the rope firmly attached I climbed the balcony, from there sneaked into the house. As I was closing the door behind me a woman's cold voice could be heard.  
"If you're telling the truth there won't be no problem for me stay here for the night right?"  
Panic and fear took over and before the front door could open I ran into the nearest room. Saying hi to the short skeleton I put Frisk down and sat on the bed next to him.  
"How did you get in? Undyne is still there, right?" – He asked putting away the book he was reading.  
"The balcony" – I replied – "And I think she's staying overnight."  
"Then you've come to a right place. Undyne wound rather get killed than come into my room, I even promised to do the killing myself. It would be right for you to sleep here." – As he said that I could swear I saw his cheekbones flush faint red, as he stood up quickly moving to the window.

Sitting for a while in complete silence I got a bit more comfortable wrapping my ice cold feet in a blanket. My small companions were already sound asleep occupying the pillow, in a bit I was falling asleep too. But before drifting away completely I felt my back leaning against something nice and warm as someone's arms wrapped around my chest and shoulders hugging me gently.


	5. To the Waterfall

== Sans ==

Sans, still standing by the window, looked back at the bed. His guests were now asleep. The, seemingly everlasting, silence was now broken by his quite footsteps as he walked towards her. Holding several strands of her hair in his slightly trembling hand Sans leaned closer to her peaceful face, yet didn't dare do what he obviously so desired. Instead, doing his best not to wake anyone, he sat down behind her and, taking a deep breath, hugged her ever so gently. Pressing her against his chest, with her head resting on his shoulder Sans felt his soul calming down. At that moment he only wanted to protect her, protect from Undyne, from other monster, from the world.

Sans noticed her soul changing, it was now calm and peaceful, so different from before. It turned so fragile that if someone tried to break it now it would take them mere moments. He knew the reason behind it, he could see it, though didn't understand it well. She trusted him to the point where she would put her life into his hands. That thought alone made him so happy he could hug Papyrus and Undyne at the same time.

The more he thought about her the clearer his feelings became. Up until now he was trying to deny it, to shrug it off as something stupid and ridiculous. How could he be in love? He didn't know the answer, yet that's how he felt, he loved this girl with all his being. Sans chuckled thinking how his feelings have changed, after all he tried to kill her just two days ago. Thinking back to the incident he suddenly felt scared, terrified even… what if he succeeded, what if the woman that had become part of his soul didn't survive?  
Sans shook his head – "what am I thinking? She's all right, she's right here, with me." – He glanced at the girl, who had now grabbed his sleeve and was mumbling in her sleep, with a warm smile, but soon that smile faded away.

"Don't know how she trusts me after what I did, but she sure as hell doesn't love me… I can see" – Sans let out a sigh closing his eyes – "heh, I guess… I'll have to make her" – he tightened his grip as red light flashed in his left eye socket.  
With this thought an unknown feeling awoke inside him, filling his soul entirely. If Sans was to describe it as a color he would choose red.

== Reader ==

Sans woke us up early in the morning saying we should leave while "she" was asleep. While I was getting ready he took Frisk's hand, who was holding Flowey's pot, and went ahead, and by went ahead I mean he disappeared right in front of my eyes. As my brain was trying to comprehend what just happened Sans reappeared in the same spot, alone. Before I could say anything he took my hand and everything around us went pitch black.  
"What's happening?" - I asked feeling uneasy and somewhat scared.  
"Don't worry, we're just taking a shortcut. Just don't let go of my hand, or you might get lost" – he said in a calming voice leading me further into the darkness.  
"Get lost? Thanks, now I feel safe"  
"You'll do fine" – Sans chuckled.

I was looking around constantly, but there was nothing but endless darkness, yet I could see both me and Sans perfectly fine. Our silent footsteps would sometimes leave behind gray lines and dots like a static of an old TV that would vanish instantly upon appearing. It didn't take long before color returned to the world around us. As Sans stopped I found myself in a friendly looking bar. I instantly recognized Grillby's that I saw glimpse of through the window the other day.  
"Hey guys" – Sans said heading to the bar stand where my brother was eating a burger and the flower was munching on a fry, looking all happy.

At first sight the monsters here were angry, some were glaring at me, so I tried to stay close to Sans. The bar was pretty crowded, but the first thing to catch my eye was a big table in the middle. Several pure white dogs of all forms and sizes were sitting there. Two of them were cuddling and flirting, which was unsettling in a way, the other one was smoking a dog treat. But the one I got most curious about was a huge dog in heavy armor sitting on a small stool. As I was passing by, the dog lowered its head and started sniffing mine. I assumed that monster dogs made friends the same way regular dogs did, so I didn't move.  
In a bit it stopped and growled at me angrily, showing its teeth. Without thinking for too long I reached for its head and petted it. Soon the growling got quitter the disappeared completely, turning into violent tail wagging. Our bonding ended when Sans called my name, grumbling that there was no time.

Saying bye to my new friend I sat down next to Sans right when barman brought us delicious looking burgers. He was completely made of fire, but somehow his clothes and glasses were perfectly fine.  
"Now I can say without a doubt… I've met the hottest bartender" – I smiled as innocently as I could trying my best not to laugh.  
With quite snicker from my right and a beautiful melody of annoyed sighs in the background the barman left… through the fire exit, never to be seen again. I watched him disappear behind the door and snickered.  
"I regret nothing" – I said biting into the burger, it was delicious.  
When Sans finally stopped laughing we started a discussion of ways to "defeat" Undyne.

"From here we'll go to the Waterfall" – He said gulping mustard – "Your top priority is to be friendly and make good impression on as many monsters as you can. You'll have some time before she follows you, so make good use of it."  
"Ok, but how would that help?"  
"Undyne is the head of the Royal Guard and even though her job is to capture or even kill humans, she values justice more than anything. Hopefully she'll listen to people."  
"So, in other words, we need to find allies that would speak up for us." – I finished the thought for Sans, he nodded.  
"Think ya can handle it?"  
"Sure." – Me and Frisk said at the same time, which gave us a couple of second of intense Sans stares.  
Flowey didn't say anything the whole time, though I noticed him listening to every word intently.  
Paying for the food we decided to move. To be safe we used shortcuts again. Sans could move one person at a time, so I insisted on going first, since Grillby's was much safer than the Waterfall area.

Taking Sans' hand I found myself in the familiar darkness. He once again led the way, but taking several steps stopped. I did too waiting for some kind of scenery to appear, but nothing changed.  
"Did something happen?" – I looked at Sans who didn't move an inch.  
I waited a bit, not getting an answer I stood right in front of him with a questionable look on my face. He flinched slightly and was visibly nervous, several drops of sweat appeared on his skull, eyes traveling at speed of light looking everywhere, but me. Seeing him like that made my heart flutter for a moment.

I wanted to say something to break the awkward silence, but before I had a chance Sans took a step forward, his arm wrapped around my waist pulling me closer as our lips met.  
My mind went blank, I closed my eyes tight, my body was growing weaker with each kiss. My first instinct was to push him away almost letting go of his hand, he tightened the grip. Sans was surprisingly strong for someone without muscles. I opened my eyes slightly as we parted.  
"Easy there, sweetheart. You don't wanna get lost, now do ya?" – He said moving my hand to his chest and, with a teasing smile, kissed it looking me dead in the eye, that made me blush more than I already was.  
Sans seemed really amused by that, he chuckled and gave me another kiss as his tongue slid into my mouth. It felt weird, yet I couldn't resist, didn't want to. I knew that deep down part of me didn't want any of this to end: his warmth so close to me, his gentle touch, the kiss. What was happening to me, was I really falling for him? I couldn't find the answer just yet.  
As we parted once again, gasping for air I saw a glimmer of light to my left, we were finally in the real world.  
Sans' gaze was so calm, so loving as he looked at me: that made my heart skip a beat. It took a while for everything to sink in, realizing what just happened I couldn't help but look away: I was too embarrassed, it felt like my blush was covering my entire body, my thoughts were a mess, my heart was beating like crazy with no intension of getting slower any time soon.

"I'll go get the kid, please wait here" – he said. I nodded, it's not like I would leave Frisk behind.  
With that he took a step back and disappeared.  
Looking around I found myself in a cave, a couple of meters in front of me there was a river, a big piece of ice would occasionally flow by. I stepped closer and, sitting on my knees, washed my face, the water was cold and nice. It actually helped me calm down a bit.  
Some of Sans' actions made my heart flutter, others made me angry, even scared. I was too confused, if I was to talk to him now it would've been a disaster, so I decided to wait, to sort out my thoughts, my feelings, to calm down a bit and understand what I really want.  
My thoughts were interrupted my Frisk's cheerful voice. Looking back I saw my brother waving at me and a still blushing skeleton next to him.  
"I need to go back or Undyne might get suspicious. But you don't have much time to spare, she'll probably get moving soon." – I nodded and he teleported once again.

I brushed away all the thoughts I previously had. Right now Undyne was my top priority. We had to move, she could pass through at any moment. I didn't even know what to expect from her, the information Sans gave me wasn't enough for a strategy, but weird enough I wasn't scared at all, I would even fight her head on if I had to.  
Protecting Frisk, my friends and the ties I had with them, protecting my little world was all I could think about. It was all I made myself think about…

I was determined to keep it safe.


	6. On the Path Again

Taking a deep breath I followed Frisk, who was up ahead exploring the cave. Walking along the river I saw crystal shards scattered on the ground. Looking up I found the source: the ceiling was partially covered in colorful crystals. Monsters didn't seem to have touched them, was it because they weren't interested or simply wanted to keep this place beautiful, I couldn't tell. For me the crystals seemed like small pieces of a world long forgotten, I wanted to keep part of it with me, so I took a small blue shard and put it in my pocket, planning to turn it into a pendant later.  
In a bit I reached a small area with a checkpoint or a sentry station that somehow had snow on its roof, a blue glowing flower was blooming next to it. A fish-like monster was explaining something to Frisk pointing at the flower as he listened curiously. When I got closer the monster's face lit up, he turned to me and started explaining excitedly.  
"This is an echo flower" – he said – "It repeats the last thing it hears over and over again. Please be careful talking next to one as some contain voices from hundreds of years ago" – he explained as I poked the flower several times.  
To my amazement it really did repeat the last sentence. The voice within seemed a bit far away, as if the person was in another room.

"Yo!" – A familiar voice called from behind breaking me free from previous thoughts – "are you going to meet her too?" – The Monster Kid asked excitedly as I turned around.  
It didn't take me much effort to understand who he meant. I smiled and nodded, after all it was, in a way, true.  
"Yo! Don't tell my parents I'm here" – he said in a threatening tone before running off. Falling on his face on the way didn't exactly help in that situation.

Not wanting to waste any more time we decided to move on, but before that I literally jumped into the sentry station. I was too curious about it, or rather about the door behind it. It was an old wooden door with no handle on it, but I still tried to open it using whatever I had on me. To my disappointment it was stuck or maybe locked, either way I wasn't able to open it. I put my ear against it, but all I could hear was dead silence. With a sad frown I turned around to leave, but didn't exactly like what was in front of me. A huge bag of popato chsips, as the label said, and several bottles of mustard were sitting in the station. My face flushed red as I realized who the sentry was. Putting the hood on and trying to hide my face the best I could, I climbed out and left in a hurry. I couldn't help, but think about him, images from the "incident" flashed in my head. I even started to question skeleton physics and blamed the fact that they're not supposed to have lips on magic. Completely ignoring my surroundings I almost walked into a falling rock. Flowey's vines, wrapping around me, were the only thing to stop me as I snapped out of it.

"Thanks" – I said looking back at him – "I was… lost in thoughts."  
"Sure" – he smiled, but I could see something was wrong. He looked down maybe even worried.  
"What's the matter?" – I asked as we crossed the waterfall dodging the rocks that were casually falling down, trying to kill us.  
"It's nothing" – he muttered, but seeing my unsatisfied face sighed and continued – "everything is so different from what I remember. Not the areas, I couldn't care less about that. The monsters are corrupted now, some are aggressive, others calm but dangerous… like that skeleton" – he hissed – "filled with hatred towards humans they turned against each other. This isn't the world I used to live in."  
I didn't say anything, I've never experienced anything remotely close to that, so I didn't know what to say. I simply patted his head hoping it will comfort him and Frisk hugged the pot tighter saying "It's gonna be okay" and "we'll help".

For some time we walked in silence. The only indicator of Frisk's whereabouts in the tall grass we walked through was Flowy's head floating above. As we got out, just a bit further I saw a sign on the wall. Vaguely glowing ancient writings of slightly reddish color were covering it. Although I've never seen the writing before, somehow, I knew exactly what it said.  
"When four Bridge Seeds align in water, they will sprout" – I read aloud.  
We decided to try it, though I could easily jump over the gap. The "seeds" were lily pads arranged near the sign. Weird enough when put in the water the current of the small waterfall didn't wash them away, instead they aligned perfectly over the gap, leaving small spaces in between.  
In a couple of seconds beautiful pure white lilies sprouted in the water, their petals intertwined, forming a bridge. Flowey guaranteed it was safe to walk on those and he was right, the lilies didn't budge even under my weight, though I felt bad for walking on them.

Right when we got to the other side everything around us went black, but the darkness was different from Sans' shortcuts, it felt safer. An odd looking monster appeared in front of us: a large levitating seahorse with, in a way, human like face. He was constantly flexing and his six pack looked like a disaster.  
The creatures captured here lacked color, everyone was in black and white, except for a bright red heart hovering in front of Frisk's chest. Looking down I saw one in front of me too, it was of burgundy color with a small crimson flower on it. I tried to touch the heart, but all I could feel was some kind of strong force, nothing material.

For a split second several glyphs appeared in the air that spelled "Aaron" before he attacked.  
I dodged as he tried to flex in my face, I assumed he was trying to choke me with his biceps. I got really confused when he suddenly stopped and started winking uncontrollably. My first reaction was: "shoo" – this simple word represented my true feelings. Luckily for me Frisk had a better idea: he flexed.  
"Flexing contest? I won't lose" – Aaron said in a seductive voice, flexing even harder.  
He once again attacked us with his biceps, but this time accompanied with sweat. It was too gross for me to attempt dodging, so I ran around keeping as much distance as possible, Frisk did the same. Once that madness stopped I followed Frisk's lead and flexed, Aaron did too…  
He flexed himself out of the room, literally flying up. When he disappeared from our sight a small sack with gold coins fell down.  
As the battle ended the hearts disappeared and everything went back to normal. From now on there were going to be more battles, more enemies. To feel a bit safer I reattached my knife to my leg and gave the money sack to Frisk in case we get separated. We decided to leave the pot behind and carry Flowey on our shoulders, since it was too hard to dodge while carrying him.

Crossing a small bridge we found ourselves in a large room. By the far wall there were four more lily pads and a silver bell hanging on the wall near a sign.  
"If an error is made, the Bell Blossom can call Bridge Seeds back to where they started" – I read ringing the bell.  
The pad Frisk was already carrying vanished and reappeared in the exact spot it was before. The puzzle wasn't hard, so we solved it pretty quickly. When the last pad was aligned four more seeds appeared on the ground. Frisk said he saw another area on the other end of the lake, that was by the entrance, and wanted to get there.  
Carrying the pads we aligned them by the shore, as the lilies sprouted we walked carefully trying to hold onto the wall. What I found beyond was something I really needed after all the madness I've been through.  
An old bench by the wall, an echo flower blooming next to it filled this mysterious room with a calming atmosphere. The dark walls were covered in colorful crystals whose slight glow reflecting on water made faint patterns of light dance on the ceiling and walls as small waves appeared ever so often.  
We sat there for several minutes enjoying the silence, feeling serenity take away all my worries. Even the echo flower was completely silent. I guessed that monsters too didn't want to disturb the calmness of this place.  
Without saying a word we went back and moved on.

The next room held another kind of mystery. It was full of echo flowers, each of them whispering quietly. The glyphs on the wall read "Wishing Room". The high ceiling was covered in brightly glowing gems that looked like distant stars.  
I walked around listening to the wishes trapped in flowers. Some of them were nice, some naïve, others… threatening, filled with hatred, wishes for humans to die, to perish by their king's hand.  
"Long ago, monsters would whisper their wishes to the stars in the sky. If you hoped with all your heart, your wish would come true. Now all we have are these sparkling stones to wish upon…" – an old man's voice seemed to be telling a story.  
"Thousand monsters wishing together can't be wrong!"  
These pieces of conversations, these wishes echoing from flowers made me feel guilty for my ancestors and for the part of history they made everyone forget.  
"C'mon sis! Make a wish!" – Frisk said pointing at the ceiling.  
I looked up, but couldn't think of anything. I had several wishes, yet I didn't want any of them to come true. I wanted to go home, to the surface, but I didn't want to leave my friends behind. Part of me wanted to live in Snowdin with Frisk, Paps and Sans, yet I wanted to see my father again. I wanted the monsters to leave this place, like so many of them wished for, but I was scared that a war might break out. I wanted to help them, I honestly did, but I didn't know how.  
"heh… I guess, my wish is to find the happy ending" – I said in a quiet voice looking at the brightest "star".

Flowey, who was sitting on my head, was the only one to hear me. He didn't say anything, but I felt his grip tighten, as he buried his head in my hair. I guess that was his way of saying "thank you". I smiled to myself feeling warmth in my heart, I don't know since when, but he felt like a little brother to me.  
Soon we reached a dead end. Part of the wall here had lighter color then the rest of the cave. Frisk touched it lightly and part of the wall under his palm crumbled opening up a hole, another area could be seen through it. I pushed the wall and jumped back shielding Frisk from falling rocks. Coughing from the cloud of dust we walked through the pathway that just opened.

I found myself on a wooden dock of some sort. It was built alongside a cavern wall, over a long, not too wide lake. Signs with ancient writings were covering the wall.  
"The war of Humans and Monsters" – I read as Frisk listened carefully.  
"Why did the humans attack? Indeed, it seemed that they had nothing to fear. Humans are unbelievably strong. It would take the Soul of every monster just to equal the power of a single human Soul."  
"But humans have one weakness. Ironically, it is the strength of their Soul. Its power allows it to persist outside their body, even after death" – I remembered the heart that appeared during the battle, as I read. I eagerly walked to the next sign in hopes to find out more about it.  
"If a monster defeats a human, they can take its Soul. A monster with a human Soul… A horrible beast with unfathomable power." – My voice was shaking at this point. Monsters were strong, way stronger then I could ever be, yet they could get stronger with the power of my soul. I grabbed my chest at that though, no matter what I couldn't let that happen, I realized that it's not just our lives I had to protect.  
"So that's what a human soul turn a monster into" – I said looking at the last sign that illustrated a dreadful looking creature.

I stood there for a couple of seconds before proceeding. There was nothing, but water by the end of the dock. As I was looking for a way forward a small part of the dock that Frisk was on broke off and started moving away, I quickly hopped on.  
"Flowey, so what's the deal with the souls? I assume those hearts I saw during the battle were them." – I said as our little raft swam forward. Flowey nodded from my shoulder.  
"The Soul is the very culmination of your being, your life force is in it. If the soul breaks the human dies. That's why monsters target it."  
"What about the color? Does it mean anything?"  
"Humans possess certain strong traits and the Soul's color represents them  
Orange Souls are Brave  
Light Blue one: Patient  
Green means Kindness  
Purple: Perseverance  
Blue: Integrity  
Yellow: Justice  
and Red means Determination"  
I listened carefully to remember what he was saying as we reached another dock. This one was quite long and, for some reason, crooked.  
"So Frisk is determined, huh?" – I smiled at him, yet he didn't seem to care – "What about my Soul" – I looked back at Flowey, tilting my head.  
"I… I don't know. I've never seen anything like that before. Never heard of it either"  
The answer left me puzzled, questioning my existence and life choices. Soon enough I shrugged it off, I could just ask someone else or search the library.  
"Right. I'll ask Sans…" – I thought to myself feeling kind of excited.

We were about at the middle of the dock when a blue, slightly glowing, spear landed in a couple of centimeters away from me, then came the second one, then the third. Barely dodging them I looked up meeting Undyne's gaze: a single golden eye shining through the helmet.  
Without thinking twice I grabbed Frisk and ran at full speed. Just like with Toriel's magic, this time too, I could hear the spears getting closer. But this time around I didn't have to worry about that, since Frisk was telling me where to dodge, and Flowey protected us with his magic. Somehow we were able to get away without a scratch and hid ourselves in tall grass. We held our breath as Undyne was looking for us getting angrier as time passed. Suddenly she stopped in a couple of feet from us, her right eye sparkled as she swung her arm grabbing something. It was the Monster kid, who at the moment looked beyond happy. Undyne pretty much threw him aside roughly growling in fury and left.  
Sighing in relief we got out, still trying to be quiet, Monster kid ran by yelling that Undyne touched him and he's never washing his face again, he fell in process…

Walking several meters more we stumbled upon a curious sight. A wooden table was standing by the wall, a piece of cheese was on it covered with magical crystal, I tried to pick it up, but it was stuck to the table. An echo flower was leaning towards a mouse hole almost covering it.  
Feeling tired I sat down as Frisk ravaged my bag looking for water. From what I saw there was nowhere to hide in this place, no way to avoid anything, let alone Undyne. From now on, I had to be stronger, smarter and not just for Frisk, for myself too. Undyne was a lot more dangerous than most of the monsters I met so far, safety felt like something I couldn't reach.  
I knew that this was the beginning of a long battle.  
One I had to win.


	7. Melody of the Waterfall

I always thought that this kind of beauty can only exist in stories and fairy tales. The sight in front of me made me remember that I was far from home, in another world and, at the moment, I was happy about it.  
The soil here was black, light blue glowing grass, mushrooms and other plants I've never seen before were growing all around. The most beautiful thing that captivated me was the water. The cyan glow was almost too bright to look at. From its surface hundreds of small glowing orbs would part and slowly glide up filling the space above. Soft sounds of bells could be heard from them, like notes written in ancient times they would dance in the air bringing forth a long forgotten melody. I tried to touch one, but my hand fazed right through, causing it to disappear.  
Dark colored lilies were scattered across the lake, at touch the cold water filled me with strange energy.

"Like what ya see?" – Asked a deep voice from behind.  
Sans was standing a few feet away from me smiling a bit wider then usually.  
"It's pretty" – I nodded trying not to look at him – "we… we should go."  
"Sure thing. I'll be coming with ya for a while" – he said taking my hand.  
"Are you sure?" – Flowy asked glaring at Sans – "I don't think you should trust him"  
Before I could respond a skeletal hand reached for him. Sans' fingertips started glowing red.  
"I don't like you hanging around her either" – his eyes turned void – "and I don't like you tryna turn her against me"  
I couldn't really tell why he acted that way towards Flowey and it didn't matter either. Taking a step back I shielded the little flower on my shoulder with my hand – "don't" – I growled.  
For a moment Sans looked shocked as his eyes went back to normal. Pulling his hand back he rubbed his skull.  
"Ok, I get it, sunshine. The weed stays" – he said annoyed giving Flowey that was now hiding behind my neck, a threatening look one more time.

As we made our way through, the several monsters that were around didn't approach, some even hid themselves, probably because of Sans. I was actually grateful for that, since I could enjoy the scenery and company of my friends, without worrying about anything. Soon we were talking about all sorts of small, irrelevant things, making jokes, laughing. It felt so nice and relaxing, as if nothing could go wrong, until I realized that I was mainly talking to Sans and we were still holding hands.  
Blushing I looked away putting my hood on as I tried to pull my hand back, emphasis on tried. He wouldn't let go and even strengthened his grip pulling me closer.

Soon the exit was in sight. I couldn't understand why, but I felt sad, almost too sad, leaving this place as if I was leaving something precious behind. I wanted to stay so badly, but we didn't have much time to spare.

 _Sans saw that, but couldn't really do anything._

On the wall in the hallway there was another sign  
"The power to take their Souls. This is the power that the humans feared" – Frisk read.  
No one commented on that one, we simply moved on. I didn't want to admit it, but in a way I understood how the humans felt. Just the thought of my soul being in a "possession" of another made me angry, lost, terrified, but even so I couldn't accept what they did.  
Sighing I chased those thoughts away. I wanted to ask Sans about my soul, but was scared to mention it, what if there was something wrong with it? Glancing at him ever so slightly I mustered the courage to talk, but decided to start with something else.

"Sans, can I ask you something?" – I said as we walked through a long hallway surrounded by water.  
"What made you change your attitude towards me? You never told me"  
"Your soul" – he sighed after several seconds of silence.  
"What about it?" – I tried to sound calm and not give away my impatience.  
"The reason I attacked you was your Soul, it looked way too dangerous to keep around, but it changed so much the moment you heard about the kid, I thought I'd keep ya around for a bit, observe ya"  
"Looked? Wait, you can see my soul… I didn't know monsters could do that"  
"Monsters can't do that, sunshine. I'm the only one" – he smiled – "but I don't exactly see it. It's more of a case of sensing it" – he explained  
"So, I'm curious about the Soul colors. There seem to be only seven of them, but what if a human has more the one trait. Would the colors just mix or something?"  
"Nah, that's not how it works" – he laughed – "It still has one trait above all else"  
"There's no way for another color to exist?"  
"Nope"  
"Then what about my soul?" – I felt defeated. There didn't seem any other way, but to ask him directly – "It's different"

Sans' expression changed from happy to worried. He stopped and we entered a fight. The burgundy colored soul once again appeared before me, but this time there were three little flowers on it with several vines growing from them. I didn't know what they were, but they felt warm and intimate.  
Sans, stepping forward, held my soul in his hands and started examining it. A strange feeling filled me from within when he did, but it wasn't unpleasant.  
Sans got more and more confused as he looked at and poked my soul from every possible angle. He sighed looking defeated as the battle ended and my Soul disappeared, then a sudden shadow of realization crossed his face.

"I've got an idea of what it might be, but I'm not sure" – he said – "I hope I'm wrong"  
"Well?" – I asked after a minute of silence. I was a bit scared to hear the answer, but not knowing anything seemed even scarier and was, definitely more dangerous.  
"Think I read some notes about these _other_ Souls" – he started reluctantly throwing a glare at a huge violet octopus behind him, who immediately went back underwater hiding its tentacles that were previously pointing at us – "Ya know how seven human magicians sealed us underground?" – I nodded – "I've read that their Souls were different"  
"Different in what way?"  
"Donno" – Sans shrugged – "But monsters hate them more than anything. And if Asgore finds out about it he won't stop against anything to kill ya"  
This made me feel more protective over my soul. There was a possibility of monsters not wanting to help me and the battles could become more complicated to deal with.

As we walked out of the hallway we stumbled upon a tiny pool with a mermaid lady by its shore. She was singing a beautiful tune looking a bit sad.  
Before I could do or say anything Frisk ran towards her and ended up entering a combat. I ran to him, but the darkness around them worked as a shield, preventing me from interfering.

I could see the battle, both parties involved and pretty much everything that happened there. Several glyphs above the lady read "Shyren", some were surrounding Frisk too, but I couldn't read them.  
Looking at my brother Shyren sang again, her voice turning into notes launched at him at incredible speed. Frisk managed to dodge all except for one. Once it was over three glyphs around him stood out, I read "ACT" as he sang Shyren's song from before. The mermaid looked shocked, then smiled widely with the most sincere smile and sang along. This time the notes floated slowly around them before disappearing. Five more glyphs turned into "MERCY" as the battle ended. Shyren left jumping into the pool and swimming away.  
"Don't scare me like that!" – I almost yelled running to Frisk – "let me see" – I examined the wound on his neck. It was just a scratch, so I only put a bandage on it, other than that he was perfectly fine.  
"Let's go" – I said getting up. Frisk nodded taking my hand.  
Walking to another sign I read:  
"The northern room hides a great treasure" – I got very curious about that and Sans seemed to have noticed it.  
"Not worth the time" – he grunted – "… A dog ate it"  
Loud laughter instantly filled the silent room. I couldn't help it, it was too ridiculous – "How in the world did it do that?" – I barely managed to ask through laughter holding my bally and wiping away the tears. Sans shrugged looking proud of himself, as a slight blush appeared on his cheekbones.

Finally calming down I went on ignoring the northern path entirely. Frisk was too short for these ones, so he asked me to read the next two signs. They made whatever was left from my smile vanish without a trace.  
"This power has no counter. A human cannot take a monster Soul. When a monster dies its Soul disappears. And an incredible power would be needed to take the Soul of a living monster"  
Sans was listening too, watching my every move, every reaction and changes in my expression.  
"There is only one exception. The Soul of a special species of monsters called a "Boss Monster". Their Soul is strong enough to persist after death, if only for a few moments. A human could absorb this Soul.  
But this has never happened.  
And now it never will."  
"What's wrong, sunshine, you pity us?" – Sans sounded bitter, even angry.  
I shook my head looking down – "It's not pity, it's guilt" – I muttered.  
"Why? You didn't do anything" – he chuckled in a mocking manner – "That's what the other kids said too. Tryna sound special, sweetheart?" – As he got closer I raised my head looking him dead in the eye.  
"Wow. Thanks Sans. You know, you're right I didn't do anything, I never said I did, but I lived my whole life in a world we should've shared without even knowing of your existence. And the fact that my ancestors had a part in it makes me feel responsible" – I said calmly, though inside I was hurt and raging.

I figured that explaining everything and making a valid point would be much easier and faster than getting angry with him. Turning around I followed Frisk, who was already up ahead, leaving Sans behind. At that moment I honestly didn't care whether he'll come along or not.  
Suddenly a beautiful and calming melody filled the hallway. I quickened the pace and soon was standing in front of a stone statue with a red umbrella in its hand shielding it from falling rain. Looking up I saw several cracks from where the sun could be hardly seen. An old music box was resting by the statue's feet. Frisk, standing in front of it looked happier than ever, Flowey on his head was smiling too.  
"Look, sis. I put the umbrella and the statue sang!" – His naivety and cheerful voice really had a power to erase all my worries.  
"I'm sure it is happy now. This is the way it's saying thank you… We should give it a name" – I looked at him with a smile that screamed "eureka"

We stood there suggesting different names when I felt skeletal hands wrap around my waist.  
"Are you mad?" – Sans asked. His voice was serious, but I could tell he was trying to apologize.  
"A bit, but I'm a lot better now" – I petted his arm looking back at him.  
I couldn't, or rather didn't want to blame him. Being trapped here by humans for centuries was bad enough and now one of those humans comes by saying she feels guilty, that must've sounded hypocritical.  
"Aes!" – Frisk suddenly yelled pulling my hand – "We should call him Aes!"  
"That would be perfect for him" – I said – "And it sounds like a name too. Aes it is then"  
Seeing Flowey's confused expression as he whispered "why" I clarified.  
"Aes is Latin for copper, it also means statue" – I explained as Frisk nodded.  
"What?" – Sans' voice came from behind.  
"Latin is an old, dead language" – I said. Seeing that the confusion was still preset I sighed – "It means it's not being used anymore"  
"Then why do you know it?"  
"I was curious and learned a bit… theeeen I taught Frisk"

The four of us had a small chat about random things that crossed our minds and the whole time Sans refused to let go of me. Getting closer Frisk pulled on Sans' jacket that seemingly annoyed him.  
"Do you like sis?" – He asked in the most innocent way, to which I couldn't properly react and only "wat" came out of my mouth.  
"Yeah, a lot" – Sans smirked, to which I again responded with "wat".  
Not sure how red I was, but I was probably close to a tomato. Was this really happening? Wasn't confessions supposed to be romantic and cute or beautiful or whatever? This was way too far from what I imagined it to be like.  
"What about you, sis?" – Frisk turned to me.  
Before I could reply Sans held me a bit closer to him and chuckled.  
"She does too" - at this point I could only pray to God to make this stop.  
Putting my hood on, I looked away trying to sound calm.  
"We should move"

Sans finally letting go of me took my hand and, putting his other hand into his pocket, led me forward. Frisk was running around us giggling and Flowey looked angry and disappointed, but all that didn't bother me at the moment.  
My heart was beating like craze, I was sure that my face now would put anything that has ever considered red to shame. Trying to figure out how he found out I remembered his words. Was that much of my Soul exposed to him, or was I too obvious… or both? But, in a way I was glad he did, because I wasn't sure if I could ever master the courage to say it.  
From a basket Sans took the largest umbrella there was and held it above our heads as we made our way into a long hallway. It was raining from the ceiling, puddles covering the ground looked like mirrors reflecting every small detail there was. This was the only place so far that wasn't covered in crystals.  
"Yo! You have umbrella! Let's go" – A familiar voice could be heard from around the corner.  
Seeing Frisk who was walking in front of us, Monster Kid ran to him, but took a couple of steps back as Sans came into view.  
"Don't worry, he won't harm you" – I gave him the brightest smile I could, seeing he was scared – "You should come with us"  
He smiled back and got under Frisk's umbrella. The rest of the way we walked in silence listening to Monster Kid as he talked about Undyne, the king and his school. He still didn't seem to have realized that we were humans, which, for me, was adorable.

Soon walking out of the cave we found ourselves on something like a natural stone bridge surrounded by wide, seemingly endless space. The ceiling was, once again, covered in bright white gems looking a lot like the night sky. In the distance I saw a ghostly shadow of a huge dark castle. The light from the gems was enough to only illuminate the top of the highest tower. Faintly lighted windows were scattered across the castle and tiny houses around it.  
I couldn't look away from the beauty and mystery that this scenery was filled with. To not trip any more than I already did I grabbed on Sans' jacket to not lose my way, to which he didn't react.

I got a bit sad when we got to the end of the bridge. Entering a cave once again we returned the umbrellas to another basket. There was a ledge of about my height right before us. I helped the kids climb, after which the Monster Kid thanked me and ran ahead falling on his face again, Sans simply teleported and I, taking few steps back ran and climbed with a little to no effort.  
In the small hallway ahead were two more signs. I didn't really want to read them, but I felt like I had to know.  
"The humans, afraid of our power, declared war on us. They attacked suddenly and without mercy"  
"In the end, it could hardly be called a war. United the humans were too powerful, and us monsters, too weak."  
"Not a single Soul was taken, and countless monsters were turned to dust…" – the last part came out as a whisper. I didn't want to stay there any longer, so without a word I left.  
The area I found myself in was quite odd. Wooden bridges that lad to the cliffs around, the abyss below or looped around themselves were filling the nothingness of the room, supported by absolutely nothing. It looked a lot like a maze.

As we walked for a bit a small area in front of me started glowing light blue, then several others around me as well. In a second spears grew out of them. Realizing what, or rather who we were dealing with I handed Frisk over to Sans asking to take care of him, as I ran followed by spears every few seconds. Soon Sans returned, after moving Frisk somewhere else, and was trying to worn or protect me. When I saw the exit I ran straight to it jumping over some gaps on the way.  
As I reached a wide platform the whole thing began glowing and hundreds of spears both rose from below and rained down from above behind and around me.  
I barely managed to get away getting several wounds on my legs, arms and back. As I entered a cave the attacks stopped, a bit further the bridge ended over an endless darkness. Seeing Frisk, who was waiting there, I turned around taking my knife out as I prepared for a battle.  
The tall figure came closer, then stopped when Sans appeared before us. His hand was covered in crimson flames and several bones were hovering around him.  
"Traitor" – hissed Undyne swinging her spear as several more came down between us and her cutting the bridge in half.

I felt the solid ground escape from under my feet, as I fell into darkness.


	8. Strange Village

I slowly opened my eyes looking around. I found myself lying on a bed of golden flowers, among them was Flowey examining the map of Mt. Ebott I had, Frisk was just sitting next to him spacing out. Sans' bare feet caught my eye, looking up I saw him squeeze his turtleneck with all his might, by the looks of it he was struggling. In his ribcage I noticed a faintly glowing transparent Soul in a shape of an overturned heart, with dark colored blur inside.  
"Great now he's shirtless" – I thought to myself – "calm down, heart, those are just ribs"

I sat up feeling my eyelids getting heavy, my whole body was tired and aching and I was feeling like throwing up.  
"How are ya feeling, sunshine" – he asked putting his shirt back on.  
"Like cra…" – I glanced at Frisk – "not good. Think I caught a cold" – and it wasn't surprising considering the fact that I was soaked from head to toe, most definitely from the water that our little floral island was surrounded by.  
"I'll be fine" – I added seeing Sans' worried face – "I'm just a little weak, that's it"  
Taking off my jacket I squeezed it as much as I could then moved to my hair and socks.  
"What is this place?" – Flowey asked showing me the map as I checked through my bag for anything that we could use.  
"That's Mt. Ebott" – Hearing that Sans got closer too – "Here's our home, the only house around. Here and here is where I and Frisk fell" – They followed my finger as I pointed at everything.  
"Why won't anyone live here?" – Flowey asked.  
"I'm not sure. Some old folk say that the mountain is cursed, but no one actually believes that as far as I know. The place was uninhabited for a long time, until dad came along and decided it was a good place to live, plus the land was cheap. I'm glad he did though, it's a beautiful place"  
"It seems the curse is true, huh?" – Sans chuckled, but his voice was angry.  
"If this is the curse, I'm glad I'm under it" – I said and he gave me a surprised look.

Drinking some water I felt a little better – "some sunlight would be nice right now" – I thought to myself shoving everything back into the bag.  
"Let's go" – I said – "I don't mind taking a break, but not here… Yes, Flowey you can keep it" – I added seeing how he didn't want to let go of the map.  
His face lit up, climbing on Frisk's head he continued examining it as if it was the greatest treasure he has ever seen.  
Frisk, probably too tired from everything, climbed on my back hanging from my shoulders. Sans grabbed my bag and we stepped into the cold water.

Piles of garbage were surrounding us, I recognized some brands from surface.  
The waterfall here seemed to flow from the ceiling of the cavern. Occasionally a piece of trash will flow through and fall into the bottomless abyss below. Viewing this endless cycle of worthless garbage filled me with determination.  
On the way I found a freezer with two astronaut food bars inside that I shoved into my bag, an old broken bike and a practice dummy. We were about to leave when the dummy appeared in front of us looking really happy.  
"Hi. I'm a ghost that lives inside a dummy" – a young girl's voice said cheerfully – "My cousin also lives inside a dummy"  
"Whatcha what?" – hissed Sans.  
"That little one on your back really helped my cousin out. Thanks to him my cousin was able to merge with his body. I wanted to thank him" – she smiled.  
"Sure" – I whispered seeing that Frisk was already asleep – "I'll let him know"  
The dummy nodded at my promise and left, seeing how Sans was getting impatient.

Walking out my mood instantly improved as I saw the familiar cyan water and heard the melody.  
"Sans, let's take a break here. We're all tired and I really like this water"

Putting Frisk down carefully, I sat down on the shore as the calming tranquility filled my soul.  
"Why is it glowing?" – I asked after short silence.  
"We don't know exactly why, but soul power is involved somehow"  
"What about the melody?" – I looked at the skeleton who had a confused expression – "You… can't hear it?"  
Sans shook his head – "No one can, sunshine…"  
It must have had something to do with my soul again, it made sense in a way and there was no other explanation either. I didn't say anything anymore, just sat there thinking.  
Listening to the melody for a while I felt my eyes closing, lying down I soon drifted away into sleep.

I was walking through the Ruins. It was entirely empty, not even a single monster could be seen.  
I was getting closer to Toriel's house. Underneath the black tree, among the scattered laves I could see piles of gray dust carrying off further by the light breeze.  
I walked right through it.  
All I could feel was emptiness…

I woke up with teared up eyes, breathing heavily I chased away the fear. Soon I realized I was feeling much better and my clothes were mainly dry now. Opening my eyes I found gently singing orbs around me. They felt warm and safe, somehow I knew that they were healing me.  
Frisk was still asleep next to me holding two of my fingers with Flowey on his face. I turned my head when I heard a quite mumble. Sans was napping with his arm around my stomach. Feeling movement he slightly opened his eye socket.  
"What's wrong, sunshine?" – He asked half asleep shoving his face into my back.  
"N… Nothing, go back to sleep" – I said felling my face covering with blush. I still was failing to remain calm in these situations.  
"Mm-hmm… love you"  
My heart practically stopped. Confused as to what to do I heard his even breathing and sighed I relief.  
Falling asleep was hard, especially after "that", but soon I was able to enter yet another dream, this time a bright and gentle one.

Waking up this time I was perfectly fine as if the sickness wasn't there to begin with. I knew it was the water, whatever magic was hidden there it healed both my body and my soul. I felt emotionally stronger, more confident, more determined. Whispering a "thank you" I got up looking for my friends.  
Some big footprints disappeared in a couple of feet from me, so I ignored them. Instead following the smaller ones I found Frisk not too far by a fish-like house.  
"They're not answering" – he said disappointed as I got closer.  
Looking through the window I saw a well-lit room with kitchen cabinets, a stove and a fridge by the far wall, a large table was standing in the middle of the room and a piano was by the window to the left.  
"They're not home, Frisk. Let's go, we'll come back later"

The two houses separated from this one by a cavern wall looked like their tops melted. One of them seemed empty, and a somehow familiar voice could be heard from behind the second door as we knocked. Soon the door opened and in front of us stood… floated a black figure with headphones.  
"Hi! You're that ghost with good music!" – For some reason I got really excited seeing him – "Sorry, I never learned your name"  
"Napstablook" – said he – "come in"  
He seemed to be the first monster to be nice to us from the start.  
We entered an almost empty room, about as big as Papyrus'. By the far wall there stood a fridge, an old TV and a desk with a PC in the corner. The only other object in the room was a shelf with several CDs. I played a couple of them, Napstablook's style was spooky music and he was doing a great job composing.  
I complimented his work, which led to a long chat about music, I even hummed few of my favorite pieces.

"My family has a tradition" – he said as we finished – "We like to lie on the ground and feel how good we are. Would you like to join me?"  
We nodded in agreement and soon the 3 of us were on the floor staring at the ceiling. After a couple of minutes the room started to slowly fade away replacing the brown walls with millions of stars and galaxies as weak smell of firewood filled the room.  
Waiting several minutes we got up and everything went back to normal. Thanking Napstablook we promised to visit again and went back to our journey.

The small cave ahead was full of gems and crystals, way more than any other place. The amount of light they emitted was enough to dimly illuminate the cavern revealing an old turtle monster.  
With a fancy looking magnifying glass in his hand he was examining something on the wall and taking notes in an old notebook. Hearing our footsteps he turned around and we met clear grey eyes that were almost as bright as the crystals he stood among.  
"Hello, sir" – I smiled  
"If you're not buying anything than leave and don't bother me" – he sounded a lot grumpier than he looked.  
"We might actually" – I said remembering that our food was running out.

At those words he smiled and pulled some items from his backpack. In front of me he put several torn notebooks, glasses, some apples and canned tea. It was quite cheap here, so I got us delicious fruit and some tea, just in case.

Sitting on the ground I asked him about Waterfall, the crystals, the cyan water and monster history.  
For almost an hour he told me stories about old times and his adventures, getting excited with every new one he started. He didn't give me any useful information, but it was interesting, funny or intense at times, I didn't want to interrupt.  
When he finished I asked him about the symbol he was examining earlier, the one I've seen several times in the Ruins.  
"That is the Delta Rune, the emblem of our kingdom. The triangle below represents us monsters and the winged circle above is… something else"  
"Could it be humans on the surface" – I thought to myself.  
"There's a prophesy about it" – he said catching my attention – "an angel that has seen the surface will descend from above and bring us freedom. But lately people have been saying that it's the "angel of death" who will free us from this mortal realm"  
"That got dark really quick" – I said raising an eyebrow – "In any case, thanks for your time. We really should go now"  
"Be careful out there, kid" – he yelled as we walked out.

The three signs on our way told pieces of story we already knew. About a barrier put up by seven human magicians with a power to keep everything trapped down here, everything except for someone with a powerful Soul.  
"There's only one way to reverse the spell. If a huge power, equivalent to seven human Souls attack the barrier it will be destroyed"  
I could see the pattern now, it got obvious why the king wanted us dead so badly, it wasn't simple hatred like I thought before.  
"Did you know about king's plan?"  
"What plan?" – asked Flowey confused. He really was clueless at times despite his age.  
"I think he's not killing humans for vengeance, I think he's trying to collect their Souls" – I said crossing my arms lost in thoughts – "I sure hope I'm wrong"

For a moment I thought we ran into a dead end when the path covered in glowing grass stopped near a big mushroom. As I lightly poked it with my foot the mushroom lit up revealing another path by the end of which there was another mushroom. Following the mushroom trail we soon cleared up the entire path. The dark room had two exits, so we decided to check out the one that was closer first.

We found ourselves in a not too long corridor that led to a small cavern. There were several white fluffy creatures here. They looked like cute puppies, but had glare of drug dealers. The whole place looked weird and confusing.  
The sign by the entrance read "hoI! welcom to… TEM VILLAGE!" – I fought the urge to laugh.  
This place seemed safe, so I let Frisk walk around and play on his own, while I checked it out myself. Saying hi to the four creatures by the entrance I introduced myself. Just like I thought they were really friendly, three of them had the same name "Temmie" and the last introduced himself as Bob. Talking with them for a bit I realized that they were quite dumb, at least Temmies were.

The two long walls were covered with art, one of which was a Temmie looking out from a crack, judging by names this one's artist must've been Bob. Next to it stood a giant statue of Tem, the sign next to claimed that it was VERY famous, I doubted it.  
Ignoring the rest of the artwork that only selected few would understand, one of which I clearly wasn't, I walked through a door that had a "Tem Shop" sign on it.

Various items that I had no idea what were used for were lined up on the wooden shelves. Behind well-crafted wooden counter sat the owner of the shop, a Temmie that was completely out of picture.  
"hoI! welcom to… da Tem Shop!" – It said in cheerful voice as I walked in.  
I was looking around when it said in a deeper voice, or at least tried to – "You should buy something" – it seemed like it was trying to sound like a gangster.  
"thaT is good. That is from surfase" – it continued pointing at a broken compass, the only thing here I was familiar with.  
"No thanks, I got a bunch of those"  
"WOA! really? Tem always wanna stuff from surfase" – it's voice went back to normal as it looked at me with pleading eyes.

I pulled out a couple of things I didn't really need and he offered a lot of money for the, so without arguing I sold everything I didn't need or could easily replace including the food I brought with me, but didn't have a chance to eat. Feeling happy with my accomplishment I waved Tem a goodbye and left. I gave half of the money to Frisk before we walked out of the village.  
Through the darkness of the familiar room we walked into a darker one. Several large crystals' dim light that was fading away slowly filled the large area. We took a couple of steps when the light went out completely.  
"Great" – I muttered to myself taking out the flashlight that luckily didn't break.  
I turned it on, yet the room got darker. I checked the flashlight, it was working, but there was nothing around me, just endless emptiness.

My heart sank as a grey static flashed not far from me.  
"Sans?" – I called out in a trembling voice, slowly putting away the flashlight and unsheathing my knife instead.  
I didn't even know why I checked, I knew it wasn't him. Taking a deep breath I took defensive position keeping my senses sharp.  
After a minute of silence I heard a voice right next to me that sent chills down my spine.  
"Interesting" – it was very calm and gentle, yet somehow dangerous.  
"Your soul is very interesting…"


	9. An Enemy, A Friend

With the corner of my eye I noticed a violet glow. Throwing a quick glance I saw a bright crystal surrounded with tall mushrooms and hundreds of tiny glowing flowers.  
I was back to reality, the voice was gone, the ominous darkness faded away replacing with far more comforting one that seemed like a deep night. Whoever or whatever it was it didn't mean well, I could tell… I had to talk to someone about it. "I have to tell Sans" – this thought instantly crossed my mind.  
Luckily neither Frisk nor Flowey saw what happened, I wouldn't want to worry them without even knowing what I was dealing with.

"The room will light up when someone touches one of the lamps" – Flowey explained.  
"That's way too easy to deal with when there are at least two people" – I smiled at my genius mind.  
Although the lamps were pretty far away from each other the room didn't go dark even for a second. Me and Frisk were taking turns "guarding" one of the lamps while other was making their way to the next one. We got into a couple of battles on the way, the most interesting monster we encountered was a weird creature that wanted to clean stuff and was quite aggressive about it, but we solved the problem pretty easily.

The next room was, again dark except for the echo flower by the end of it and some crystals sprinkled on the walls. Getting closer to the flower I heard Undyne's voice coming from it – "Behind you"  
Taking a deep breath I looked back, but sighed in relief seeing the familiar tall skeleton.  
"You scared me, Papyrus. I was expecting… someone else" – I said taking several steps forward. He didn't reply.

Sharp pain pierced my chest and stomach. Looking down I saw blood gushing from my heart dripping on the ground as it dyed everything on its way in deep red. I was terrified more than I've ever been in my life, moments felt like minutes as I watched my life drain taking away what little hope was left in me. I couldn't help but wonder, was this how everyone felt? Clenching my chest I closed my eyes waiting for my consciousness to slip away.  
Instead the pain faded moments later, the warmth of my blood could no longer be felt. I opened my eyes when Frisk hugged me burying his face into my stomach, I petted his head comforting him. Looking around I found myself by the entrance of the lantern room.

"How did… Why are we here, Flowey? Where's Papyrus?" – I asked confused. All that couldn't have been a dream or a vision, it definitely happened. I knew it did, I could still feel discomfort in my chest and taste iron, the images were still vivid in my mind.  
"That was Frisk" – he said after a long pause. After my "huh?" he continued – "strong Determination can turn back time, or even reset an entire timeline" – I didn't answer as I was still processing the information – "but you shouldn't have remembered"  
"Why not?" – I asked finally hearing something that didn't require debugging my brain.  
"Only determined souls do"

I was killed right in front of my little brother and he reversed time to prevent it from happening. The thought itself was too ridiculous to believe, yet here I was. It was wrong in so many ways, I was willing to do anything to prevent something like that from happening, but I didn't know how.  
I wanted to reassure him so badly, to say that I'll be fine, but it wasn't something I could promise.  
"Let's go" – I said – "We need to know why he did that. I'm sure we can reason with him"  
Frisk nodded letting me go.

The moment we entered the room I took position in the center facing where Papyrus was last time. I didn't want to hurt him, but I still needed to defend myself, so after short hesitation I grabbed my knife.  
Seconds later my friend stood before me once again.  
As he raised his hand two bones formed in the air, with just a flinch of a finger the bones launched at me. Within moments after dodging those three more were already on their way to me. I didn't have time to think, my body moved on its own as I deflected two with my knife, while the last one scratched my cheek forcing blood to show.  
Papyrus wouldn't give me even a second to catch my breath, his attacks came one after another. Up until this fight I didn't even think about how strong he could be.

"What do you think you're doing?" – A furious voice growled from behind me.  
I looked back, but we were already in a battle. In front of my Soul there was a braided knot, more than half of it was red and a small part on the left glowed faint gold. I tried poking it, but nothing happened.  
It was my turn, so I decided to heal up from the minor wounds I got, although they weren't serious the pain distracted me sometimes. Taking an apple from my bag I sat down eating it and noticed that with every bite the golden part of the knot was getting larger.  
"Now I have a health bar, awesome" – I muttered to myself finishing off the apple.  
The fun part of the whole process was watching Papyrus lose his mind waiting while I intentionally took as much time as I possible could.

Getting up I got ready for the next attack, which didn't keep me waiting. Papyrus once again launched bones at me accompanied with ones that rose from the ground, but after his attacks from before it was easy to dodge as these ones were a lot slower.  
"Why are you doing this?" – I asked when he stopped – "Aren't we friends…"  
"We're not, I helped you because of the little human, but that's as far as it goes" – he said coldly – "but now, Asgore ordered me to get your Soul in specific. In return he won't harm Frisk"  
Before I had a chance to say anything else he attacked. During my turns I tried to talk to him again and again, but to no avail, he wouldn't respond.

I died twice, every time trying to say or do something different, something new. When Frisk tried to talk to him the battle simply started shutting his voice out.  
This time I didn't use a weapon. I memorized his attacks almost perfectly, so dodging them was somewhat easy. During my turns I only said one sentence "I won't fight you", that didn't seem to help in any way, but I couldn't think of anything else. I didn't know what I could do or say, the only thing I knew was that I couldn't hurt my friend.

But that thought seemed to have slipped my mind eventually…  
While dodging an attack I saw an opening, for a moment my mind went blank. The next thing I knew Papyrus fell in an attempt to dodge as my knife passed in mere millimeters from his neck. Pinning him down with my knee and holding down his arm I swung the knife.

I barely managed to hold back my tears as I lowered my trembling hand.  
"Let's stop this. Please" – I muttered almost too quietly.  
Shock was written all over his face, whether it was because of the sudden attack, my reaction after it or the fact he lost I couldn't tell.  
The darkness faded and I stumbled back sitting down as I felt my legs growing weak. I watched Papyrus leave still being wary of him.

Sans, that probably came by during our fight was standing by the entrance. I wanted to go to him, ask what was wrong with his brother when Frisk jumped on me.  
"Don't go, he wants to hurt you" – he said.  
"What are you talking about?"  
"He killed you once…" – Flowey whispered. He seemed too scared to even look at Sans.  
"What? That's im…possible. Why would he do that? And why don't I remember?" – I didn't get an answer.  
Was this some kind of a sick joke? There was no way it was true, there had to be a misunderstanding. I looked at Sans for some kind of hint, but what I found wasn't what I was hoping for. He was staring at us with empty eye sockets, something about it was way more sinister than ever. Though I didn't want to admit, it made me scared of him just like during our first encounter, but this time the feeling was stronger.

I took a deep breath as I got up – "Let's go. There's still Undyne we need to worry about" – I said in a weak voice trying to distract myself.  
Frisk took my hand and Flowey apologized saying he wanted to go somewhere before disappearing into the earth.  
As we moved to the path that previously wasn't visible I tried my best to not show any kind of emotion. I knew all too well that he could read my soul, but it was necessary for myself more than anything. We walked into a dark tunnel illuminated by echo flowers, several glyphs that I couldn't read and floating lights that looked like fireflies. Normally I would internally freak out over the beauty of this place, but I couldn't shake off the feeling of danger from the short skeleton that was fallowing a couple of steps behind us.

"What did he tell ya?" – He asked getting closer, his voice was threatening and angry.  
I closed my eyes trying my best to stay calm. All my hopes that what I've been told was some kind of mistake shattered with that question.  
"What do you mean" – I asked in a calm manner. Did he really think I would just answer bluntly?  
"Don't play dumb" – he growled impatiently glaring at Frisk.  
"What's wrong, Sans? Is there something I shouldn't know?" – He didn't answer, couldn't to be exact.  
"Why did all that happen so suddenly? First that weird voice, then Papyrus, now Sans… Could that all be connected somehow?" – My thoughts were racing at an incredible speed as I was trying to figure out what was going on and what to do next.

Sans was following silently from behind, but close enough to see her face. Without realizing it at first he started to watch her every move, her hair, her hands, her lips. Unwillingly he threw a glance at her Soul: though the trust and love he could always see were still there, they were buried deep beneath a thick layer of fear and doubt towards him. Suddenly she began to hum a quiet and gentle melody, it calmed her Soul slightly.  
Now he knew exactly how it felt to not have her around, to not hear her voice. The lie he previously told himself about getting over her death felt disgusting to him now. Sans wanted to apologize to her, explain himself. It sounded ridiculous even to him, but he knew that if he did she would listen and try to understand. At that moment that was all he dared to wish for. With that thought he reached for her hand.

Before I knew it we were outside, by an entrance to yet another cave. My thoughts were interrupted by a loud "NGAHHH" coming from above.  
"What the…" – I looked up to find Undyne literally falling on my head.  
I quickly gabbed Frisk and jumped to side hurting my butt in process, Sans wasn't that lucky as a shining boot smacked his head. I let out a loud snicker, while he glared at me rubbing his forehead.

Taking off her helmet Undyne threw it into the bottomless bit behind us. I didn't know what I was expecting to see, but definitely not the monster that was in front of me.  
Undyne was a sea monster. Blue scales covering her body had a dim shine when deflecting the light of faraway gems, large fins on her head were where her ears should've been. Her left eye was covered with a black eye patch that was partially hiding a large scar, the right one had a golden glow I remembered so well from our first encounter. Bright red long hair was up in a messy ponytail with several strings falling on her shoulders and face. She was probably the first monster I could call pretty.

Before I could do or say anything darkness surrounded us as the battle began. Sans was the only one Undyne left outside and I was glad she did. If he killed me once I couldn't know whose side he'd be on now, I didn't trust his actions yet.  
Undyne stared at my Soul for a moment then smiled widely exposing sharp teeth.  
"En garde" – she said in a calm voice swinging her spear.  
A big area in front of my chest not far away got dyed in bright green and would follow my hand's movements perfectly.  
"Unless you learn to face danger head on you won't last a second against me!" – She smiled wider and several spears came flying at both me and Frisk.  
I tried to dodge, but couldn't move. There were no boundaries around us, yet I couldn't take even a single step.  
I braced myself for the attack but the spears disappeared upon touching the green area.  
"Ooooh… now it makes sense" – I whispered feeling stupid – "why didn't I think of that before?"

The first several attacks were slow and despite them coming from different sides, defending myself was quite easy. We noticed that there were no attacks coming from between me and Frisk, so the logical thing to do was to stand with our backs against each other. That also gave us a full view of the "battlefield".

"Are you really trying to spare me?" – She smirked after we refused to fight several times – "I saw your fight against Papyrus. Just like then you'll show your true colors eventually"  
"Cause we're colorless now, I get it" – I smiled hearing Sans' laugh in my head. Undyne didn't appreciate the joke.  
"Sis is nice! She won't hurt anyone!" – Frisk yelled startling me. Looking at his face I could tell: the sulk was real. That was probably the best thing that happened to me through the entire day, but as I could guess that didn't change anything.

The spears were getting harder to block and my arms were getting tired, so eventually I got hit several times and had to have an apple break. Tossing one to Frisk we sad town for a bit eating the sweet fruit that got Adam banned from heaven and, in a long run trapped me in this stupid battle.

"For years, we've dreamed of a happy ending, and now the sunlight is just within our reach! I won't let you snatch it away from us!" – she said when we got up ready for her next move.  
One of the spears this time was golden. When I turned to block it, just like the regular ones it disappeared, but right when it did I felt a sting on my back.  
"Is this what I think it is?" – I thought to myself and decided to test my theory.  
The next golden spear I tried to block from the opposite side, it worked.  
"What happened to your "facing the danger head on" thing?" – I asked sarcastically, she didn't reply.  
Don't know if it was because of what I said, but the next three attacks were nothing but golden spears. Soon we realized that we had to work together for that one. The spears coming from our front would change direction and strike the other sibling. The solution came to us naturally, we would simply warn each other by yelling random words or making noises.  
Despite everything I still got confused a couple of times which resulted in getting hit, but fortunately my health didn't go too low.

After the last attack was blocked Undyne swung her spear again and the green area vanished. A few dozen spears surrounded us launching almost at the same time, but now we could move.  
I noticed that Frisk was dodging a lot easier probably because he was tiny, either was I didn't have to worry about him, since Undyne seemed to be concentrating on me at that moment.  
When it was finally our turn I was about to get more apples, but remembered what old Gerson said about the tea. Apparently it could help us move faster and that was exactly what we needed in a situation like this, so we decided to try.  
The taste was really nice and mild, my health maxed out and I felt energized despite the situation I was in. Dodging really did get easier, but soon enough it meant nothing as Undye sped up my spears in particular.

I got hit in the ankle and falling on my knees felt my hand get pierced, I tried to deflect an attack with my knife, but it fazed right through the spear which almost hit my neck. In a flash a spear launched right at my heart, I knew I would die. Closing my eyes I let out a prayer then something pierced my Soul, or so I thought.  
My eyes widened as I opened them: pieces of a shattered spear were hovering in front of me for a split second before vanishing like all the others. Confused I looked down, my Soul was perfectly fine without a hint of a damage. Looking up I saw the same confused expression on Undyne's face.  
Clicking her tongue she sent few more spears my way, but before I could react they vanished along with the darkness.

"Is this the end?" – I thought to myself looking around.  
For a moment the reality flickered as well as my Soul revealing spears pointing at me from every direction then disappeared in a flash. The battle simply refused to begin.

Undyne was furious. Clenching her spear she took few steps towards me, but our little encounter was cut short when Sans stepped between us.  
I couldn't see his face, but I assumed he was angry and my suspicions proved correct when hovering bones and a huge canine skull appeared by him.  
"Is he really going to attack her?" – I thought trying to get up, but to no avail: my foot was in too bad of a shape for that. Instead I crawled on my knees and grabbed Sans' arm trying to distract him – "or is it me?"  
Fear flashed in my heart as his crimson eye turned to me making the thought cling even more. Even if it was true, even if he was dangerous for me I had to take the chance. The thought of him hurting someone for my sake wasn't something I was willing to accept, especially if it could be avoided.  
"A little help would be appreciated" – I said the first thing that came to my mind, nervously looking down.  
Sans leaned to help me up, but seeing the wound on my hand and the little pool of blood around my foot his eye literally caught ablaze. He glared at Undyne in a way I've never seen before and hoped that I never would: fury, hate, bloodthirst. "Did I just make things worse?"

I didn't have much time to think seeing he was about to attack, so holding Sans' head with my hands I fixed his gaze on me.  
"We need to take care of this now" – I said pointing at my foot – "I appreciate that you want to protect me, but it's over now. There's no need to fight anymore."  
I gave him a weak smile and his expression slowly calmed down, in a bit his eyes finally went back to normal.  
"Let's go, sunshine" – he said picking me up gently – "I'll take you somewhere safe"  
As we walked into the cave Undyne disappeared from our sight leaving us alone with a monster that used to be a friend.

His actions showed that he had no intention to hurt me, but I was still confused about everything that happened. For now I wanted to trust him, at least try to, no matter how uneasy and scared I might get. It took me a little too long to realize that he was the only one for me and the thought of not having him around made me feel helpless and lonely, the thought of him betraying me was much worse.

With that thought I buried my face into the soft fabric of his top letting tears run down my face and fall into the silence.


	10. Lab

We stayed silent for quite some time. It was comfortable in his arms, for a brief moment I even felt safe, but quickly chased away the thought. Until he explained everything I had to be careful, at least for Frisk's sake.  
"Is it just me, or is it getting hot here?" – I asked looking around. At that moment a curious sight caught my eye: a huge electronic sign that read 'Welcome to Hotland'. I stared at it for a while – "well… ok then"  
Sans snickered at that holding me slightly closer to himself, I chose to ignore that for the time being.  
As it was getting too hot I tried to take off my jacked, the struggle was real but I succeeded. Tying it around my waist I looked around one more time. In front of us in the distance I saw a big grey structure. There really wasn't much to it: it was a big rectangular building with a single entrance and a "LAB" sign above it, from where we were it looked like it was built from concrete.  
"Umm… Sans. Where exactly are we going?" – I asked.  
"You're looking at it"  
I sighed; I had a feeling that would be the place, but didn't really like the idea. For me the Lab seemed strange, but I didn't have a choice as my foot was bleeding quite badly now.

As we got closer two more paths opened up, one led down to a river and the other one was blocked off by a blue and orange flickering lasers. The entire area was covered with red sand.  
"Kid, ya mind knocking" – said Sans standing in front of the door.  
The moment Frisk's fist touched the door it opened revealing a well-lit room. The floor inside was covered by clean blue tiles, the lime colored walls had nothing but a couple of lights and some cables on them.  
Two escalators on either sides of the long not too wide room led to and from the second floor. I couldn't see much from where I was, but I noticed several bookshelves, some tools hanging from the wall and two posters. I couldn't see the far one, but the other had a rectangular… something drawn on it.

A huge screen by the wall showed some areas I was familiar with, while others looked like hell with red sand and lava flowing around small metal islands. I assumed that was around here.  
I remembered the camera I was chilling with by the Ruins' entrance when I saw the familiar stone gate. The images started to change showing some areas from Snowdin, Waterfall, Frisk, me, some more hell.  
"Wait, what?" – I narrowed my eyes trying to understand if I saw that correctly – "were we being watched all this time?"  
"Yes" – A slightly high pitched woman voice replied as a yellow dinosaur-like monster entered through the door by the end of the room.  
She was a little shorter than me, wearing a lab coat and glasses that looked incredibly good on her.  
Putting some files on already messy and overflowing desk she started to examine the wound on my palm.  
"I assume you want me to take care of this" – she said looking at Sans – "and probably that too" – she added throwing a glance at the blood dripping from my foot.  
"Yeah" – was his only response as he walked to the door the dinosaur lady just walked out of. It turned out to be an elevator. Four buttons had different glyphs on them, by the looks of it we were on the top floor.

Once everyone was inside the doc pressed the second from the top button. As the elevator started moving an awkward silence surrounded us.  
Grabbing Sans' jacket I lifted myself to look over his shoulder.  
"Hi" – I waved at the doc – "If you don't mind me asking, what's your name?"  
She seemed a bit surprised by the question – "I'm Alphys, the royal scientist" – she replied as a hint of smile crossed her lips.  
"Royal scientist?" – I felt mistrust build up in my Soul even more – "then why are you helping us? Doesn't the king want us dead?"  
"My research is my only interest, I don't really care about the king's plan. I'm especially interested in human Souls, so killing or hurting them is out of question… If you let me examine yours I'll help you any way I can."  
"Human Souls can exist outside our bodies, which means you don't actually need us alive." – I persisted.  
"Souls show their full potential when the human is experiencing some kind of emotion, rarely they can even change color or shape" – she explained – "But because of king's orders I get too few chances to work with a living human"  
I didn't trust her yet and what she said didn't help in that regard, but I decided to wait for a while, watch her actions and pay close attention to her words.

The elevator stopped and I found myself in a long white corridor. Passing by several closed doors Alphys finally stopped opening one, while she left to get medical supplies. Sans putting me on the bed also walked out leaving me and Frisk in a small but cozy room.  
Light brown walls were decorated with few picture frames with two of them being empty, others showed sceneries from surface however monsters imagined it. The top of the walls had beautifully carved chocolate colored trim. In front of me was a two seated sofa of navy blue color.

Soon Alphys came back with medicine, bandages and a weird looking device, Sans came in right after her wearing a lab coat too. For some reason his appearance made me slightly blush, I quickly looked down hoping that he didn't notice, then heard a quiet chuckle… he did.

After injecting painkiller Alphys proceeded to take my boot off as carefully as possible then moved on to treating the wound itself, Sans helped her too.  
It wasn't bleeding that badly anymore and looked quite good after the treatment, but I knew it would leave a scar. Sans also treated the deep cut through my hand. It all actually surprised me, he didn't look like a guy who'd know that kind of things.  
Right after the wounds were bandaged they both used the weird device. As they put it close to my skin I felt itchy sensation – "is this thing healing me?" – was my first thought.  
Once done Sans gently kissed my palm making sure Alphys noticed.  
"What was that about?" – I whispered quiet enough for only Sans to hear. He only shrugged with a wide grin.

"Rest for now" – said Alphys picking everything up and ready to leave – "you lost a lot of blood and must be exhausted"  
"Thank you" – I nodded and the scientist left closing the door behind her.  
Just like she said I was weak and tired, but didn't feel safe sleeping in that place. I sat more comfortably on the bed with a pillow behind my back and cuddled in warm blankets. Frisk climbed up too and sitting on my lap gave Sans a serious look, which he ignored.  
Somehow it made me feel a lot safer. Hugging my brother softly I smiled and closing my eyes almost instantly fell asleep.

 _Dust was covering my hands and clothes. A gentle wind quietly howling by my ears and brushing away the strings of my hair slowly scattered the grey dust from the snow. I smirked to myself and stepping on a bright red cloth entered the ghost town of Snowdin._

Opening my eyes I found the room pitch black. Frisk's quite breathing could be heard from my chest. It took me a bit to realize that my hand was wrapped by ten slim skeletal fingers.  
"What's wrong, sunshine?" – Sans' deep voice could be heard so close to me – "Did you have a nightmare? Your soul looks anxious."  
"I guess… It was weird" – I said trying to remember details – "I was in Snowdin, but it was empty. Ominous kind of empty"  
For a while he didn't say anything and somehow with his simple "it's ok" I felt a lot better, fear from the nightmare faded away.

"I'm sorry" – he said in slightly shaky voice after a long silence grabbing my hand a bit too tight as if scared that I'd suddenly disappear.  
"For what?" – My tone was harsh, but he didn't reply. After a short pause I sighed – "why did you do that?"  
"I got scared"  
"Of what?"  
"Your Soul"  
I sniggered loud enough for him to hear pulling my hand back harshly.  
"Are you really going to blame it on me?" – I raised my voice slightly.  
"Remember what Alphys said?" – He asked – "A Soul can change color or shape, well yours did."  
I didn't reply waiting for him to continue. I was sure that it would only make me angrier, that whatever he was gonna say couldn't possibly be a reason good enough for murder, but hearing him out was the least I could do before coming to a conclusion.  
"It was corrupted to a point I didn't know existed. Danger, Anger and Hate were dripping in mixture of black and deep red. Cold blooded nature changed the usual heart shape into a demon hanging over you… Your LOVE got higher than I've ever seen. It should be impossible, but it all changed in an instant."  
"My love" – I got confused – "what does love have to do with all that?"  
"Not that love, sunshine. LOVE is an acronym: it stands for "Level of Violence", it's a way of measuring someone's capacity to hurt"  
"Then why did you change your mind? Why are you trying to apologize this badly if it was the right thing to do?"  
"It wasn't" – he spoke in an impatient manner – "You were able to overcome it, but I chose to ignore it."

 _Sans made himself believe that he would get over her death, but seeing her lifeless body was more then he could ever imagine.  
Despite his knowledge he seemed to have forgotten, or simply never thought of it as something important: Humans don't turn to dust.  
If she did Sans might've been able to stay sane for a little bit longer.  
As the light withered in her eyes Sans held his only ray of sunshine close to his Soul feeling it shatter in his chest, yet not letting him leave with her._

He sounded sincere. I knew he regretted it, there was no way he wouldn't. To kill your loved one to stop their darkness or let them live despite what they can cause: there was no right choice there. Even though he said he was wrong, I knew he wasn't.  
"If what you said is true" – I bit my lip a bit nervously – "I'm willing to leave it in the past"  
I wanted to forgive him, I already did, but couldn't master the courage to say that. After all it must be a lot harder for him than it is for me. I didn't even remember that… Didn't remember?  
"Sans is your Soul determined?"  
"Nah, it doesn't work that way with monsters" - By his voice I could say his mood improved quite a bit.  
"Then why do you remember?" – He didn't answer – "Flowey said that only determined Souls can remember the past timeline or whatever, yet I remember several of them and didn't even have a clue about the one you remember… Odd"

For several minutes I lay in silence thinking about all the possible answers watching the never ending darkness around me. My eyes widened as I recalled a fading memory, how could I forget that in the first place?  
"Sans?" - I asked to confirm he's not asleep. A quiet "hm?" came as an answer.  
"Something happened. Before I fought Papyrus for the first time…"  
"For the first time?" – He cut me off – "How many times did you fight him? Did he kill ya?" – The last question came out as a threat.  
"Except for the one where I won, I remember only one more try" – I replied quickly. Telling him that I died multiple times wasn't the best idea at that moment. Plus this way he wouldn't have anything against his brother, since they're pretty much even – "but that's not the point here"  
"In the lantern room the light went out for a short while and before coming back on the darkness somehow changed… It was similar to your shortcuts, but I got there on my own. I saw this static and after that heard this voice: a male voice, it was really calm, but creepy. Do you know what it could be?" – I looked in the direction of Sans, though I couldn't see him.  
"I'll look into that"  
His voice and the promise made me finally calm down completely and soon enough I was able to fall asleep again.

I woke up when Alphys came in. Although she didn't make much noise I somehow felt her presence. Frisk was already up reading a book he presumably found in the drawer that was now open revealing two more hard-covered books about monsters.  
Sitting up I greeted everyone rubbing the sleep out of my eyes.  
"Good morning" – smiled Alphys – "I got some food for you guys. Sans help her."  
Sans, obviously still half asleep, lazily opened his eyes and wrapping me in the familiar crimson aura carried me across the room. Putting me gently on the sofa next to him, he shoved his face into my shoulder and went back to sleep.

Alphys shortly came back rolling in a table with some donuts, mugs and a tea pot. Though she gave Sans a weird look at first, she chose to ignore him, I did too.  
With Alphys sitting next to me and Frisk on my lap the three of us had a really pleasant conversation seemingly for the first time in a while. We talked about the human world and humans in general, our differences and similarities; I gave her an account of history, different countries and the customs I knew of. We talked a bit about anime too, she only knew some old and not too popular ones and luckily I knew a bit about them and was able to keep up.  
Eventually Sans woke up and sucked in almost all the donuts and tea there was left like a vacuum cleaner.  
"How about we take a look at your Soul now?" – Alphys said. I nodded eagerly waiting for the information she could give.

Sans picked me up and followed Alphys. She walked for quite some time lading us through endless maze of white corridors. Finally we reached a grey metal door, as we walked through we found ourselves in a large room with four examination tables and odd looking machines. Some were big and ominous looking, others small enough to hold in one hand. The whole room creeped me out, thought slightly.  
"Don't worry, it's ok" – said Sans holding me closer.  
With just that my Soul instantly calmed down.  
"How in the world does he do that? This is not the first time either" – I thought looking at the skeleton, but couldn't find the answer.  
Putting me on one of the tables Sans sat across me watching Alphys who came from the other side of the room holding something resembling a gun.  
"This will call out your Soul without us getting into a battle" – she said putting it against my bare chest – "It won't hurt you in any way"

With that she pulled the trigger. A strange, unpleasant feeling awoke as I felt my Soul being pulled out of me. In a moment it was gone and the cold metal of the device parted from my skin leaving a tingly sensation for a split second.  
Alphys looked fascinated by the burgundy colored Soul and instantly began examining it and taking notes in her journal.  
It was different now: the crimson flowers were covering about half of it with few vines burying deeper and disappearing into the core. The whole pattern was now covered with a thin layer.  
The perfectly smooth surface of the Soul only let few rays of bright lights through, making it look like a dark gem.

Sans got closer too examining the changes carefully then tried to hold it. The moment his finger touched its surface the flowers within glowed red ever so slightly. Startled he quickly withdrew his hand and looked at Alphys.  
"What's with those?" – He asked.  
The scientist tried poking it too, but nothing happened, the result was the same with Frisk's touch. The magic they used caused no reaction whatsoever.  
"Sans kiss her" – Alphys said after few more tries and intense thinking.  
My cheeks flushed red and in confusion I tried to protest, yet couldn't make a sound.  
"There's your answer" – she smiled – "It's her feelings for you. You lucky bastard"  
Looking down I saw the flowers glowing bright enough to dye everything around them red, including my shirt and skin.

Putting my jacket back on I pulled the hood over my face and throughout the examination just sat there rethinking my life choices. Though he knew I liked him, I felt embarrassed and nervous being told about it so bluntly and more than anything showing him how much it changed and grew.

For a long time Alphys examined my Soul using different devices that I individually named. After she was done with it she asked me to close my eyes and imagine various situations: sad, happy, frustrating or any other emotion she could think of. By the end of it the amount of notes she took was enough to write a novel.  
"It's very curious" – she finally spoke looking through the notes – "your Soul reacts to emotions stronger than any regular one I've seen"  
"Is that a good thing or bad?"  
"Neither, it simply is" – she shrugged – "I also noticed that there is no dominant trait. It changes with every emotion or thought you experience."  
Going through the notes she showed me one. The handwriting was small and neat, almost like a letter from 18th century. On the top of the page she wrote all the traits and put small numbers next to them.  
"Currently three traits are almost equally dominant in you: Courage, Justice and Determination" – said Alphys individually pointing at the words with number 1 next to them – "their amount changes continuously, so none can dye the Soul"  
"Wait, if that's the case shouldn't the color change constantly? Also Sans said that the color did change at one point, but I always saw the same Soul in front of me" – I said confused – "So what's the deal with that? Why didn't I see the changes that occurred?"  
"There's something else present in your Soul. It seems to be causing things unfamiliar to me to happen" – she said looking through her notes – "But I don't know what exactly it is, I've never seen anything like that before"  
That answer again. It seemed to be fallowing me wherever I went. But at least I got some answers.  
"So optimistic" – I whispered to myself sarcastically.

We sat there a bit more as Alphys ran few examinations on Frisk's Soul too, but finished quite fast as the Soul was familiar to her. She also took a look at my wounds and changed the bandages.

"Your wounds seem to be fine, so there's no need for you to stay here, if you want to leave of course" – she said as she finished.  
"She'll stay with me" – said Sans before anyone could speak up.  
That would mean living right next to Papyrus too. I still didn't trust him, but giving him a chance would only be fair. Frisk didn't seem to mind either, so after a short hesitation I nodded.

"Make sure you don't move… or use your foot in any way for the time being" – Alphys said as Sans picked me up and followed her out of the room - "Also come here in a week, so I can take a look"  
Leaving the Lab Sans noticed that he's still in the lab coat, which for some reason made him mad, while I laughed. While he was changing I wrote a little note on the red sand for Flowey, telling him where we were heading.

"What's wrong Frisk? You look a bit too down"  
"Why are we going back there?" – He asked grumpily – "Sans said he liked you, but he hurt you. Did he lie?"  
"No, he still likes me and he really regrets doing it. I'm sure Papyrus does too, we just need to talk to him" – I smiled – "besides weren't you the forgiving one from the two of us?" – He didn't reply.  
Our conversation was cut short when Sans came back. He took us to the river where now was a wooden boat. In it stood a tall monster in a long black robe with a hood covering his face.  
"I'm the Riverman" – a deep voice spoke as we got closer – "I like to ride in my boat along the river. Care for a ride?"  
"I hope you're not taking us to Hades" – I said aloud without realizing it.  
"Snowdin" – said Sans giving me a confused look.  
Once in the boat and moving I told him about Hades and the ferryman who carried the souls of the dead over the river that separated the world of living form the world of dead. As I told everything the similarities surprised even me. After that we both grew silent.

While passing through Waterfall caverns I couldn't help but stare at Riverman's hand as it occasionally showed for a brief moment before disappearing behind the darkness of his robe. Pale grey skin was covering his long slender fingers. A large golden ring on his index finger had the emblem of Kingdom on it that would glitter ever so slightly when dim light shone on it. His hands looked like that of a young man, yet his voice made him sound a lot older.

Soon we reached Snowdin. Here, more than anywhere else I felt at home. Waving Riverman a goodbye I smiled looking at the familiar woods surrounding us.

Stepping on fresh snow we walked into the town.


	11. Magician's Soul

I was pretty much hanging lazily on Sans' shoulders watching the shop, the Inn, Grillby's bar and the distant bridge leading into the woods and out of town, trying not to think about the cold binding my feet from the lack of almost destroyed boots.

We got past the library and only then did I notice that the monsters were nowhere to be found, except for Monster Kid who tried running towards us with a happy expression from near the Christmas tree before being dragged away by his parent.  
I remembered the nightmare from the previous night and an eerie feeling clung on me. Hugging Sans slightly made me feel a bit safer.  
"Why are they hiding?" – I asked watching the houses.  
"Cause of me" – he said amused – "cause they're scared of me"  
The sparkle in his eyes and the wide grin made him look crueler than I could ever imagine.  
At that sight my heart skipped a beat and not in a good way. It made me a bit scared, for what I didn't know, but more than that there was a feeling I couldn't describe: I felt like I had to help and protect him from something.  
"That's not a good thing" – I said hugging his skull a little tighter and buried my face in the crook of his neck.  
He smirked making me twitch for a split second. The fact that he enjoyed being feared made me a bit uncomfortable. I did my best to chase that thought away, making a plan to confront him, talk to him and try to understand why he feels that way.

My thoughts were interrupted when a door opened with a quiet crack and a familiar smell of wood and dust surrounded me. I tossed my head up finding myself in the living room I so missed. A small smile appeared on my lips for a second before erasing as Sans clinched me too tight with a mocking grin.  
"That hurts" – I whispered and he loosened his grip slightly, but it was still too strong for me to be able to move, not that I tried.  
"Why didja let go, I'm still a bad guy, aren't I?" – He said as faint blush appeared on his cheekbones – "Isn't that how your hugs work?" – He chuckled.  
He was mocking me openly now, yet I wasn't angry like I thought I would be, just slightly annoyed. I didn't make a sound and simply averted my gaze as if he never spoke.  
For a moment I felt warm breath against my neck, raising my hand I was ready to 'protect myself' when the door on the second floor opened with a bang.  
"Why is she here?" – Asked Papyrus crossing his arms and with a hint of disgust in his eyes added looking at his brother – "and what are you even doing?"  
"What do you mean?" – I asked, knowing that Sans might go on an angry rampage from lack of ability to reason and because he wasn't exactly fond of his brother. I then turned to him – "I'd like to sit down"  
He now looked at me with the caring eyes I so loved. Putting me on the couch he sat next to me ready to interfere if anything went wrong with his brother.  
Not showing any sign of worry I pulled my feet up warming them up the best I could. With the corner of my eye I saw Papyrus get closer.

"My orders are still the same, you know" – he said standing in front of me with red aura covering his hand – "I won't lose again"  
"Are you really going to fight me knowing that I can't fight back?" – I said looking him in the eye – "Can't you accept your defeat with more dignity? You're a warrior before anything else, so act like one!"  
I didn't realize I raised my voice until I finished.  
Papyrus looked surprised, maybe even a bit shocked – "you sound like Undyne" – he spoke after a short pause.  
"Thanks. I'll take that as a compliment" – I said looking back down.  
"Fine, human. I'll wait for you to recover" – he said as if doing me a favor. Realistically speaking he was, but I didn't want him to think that way.

"What did that give ya?" – Sans asked when Papyrus left and the room went empty.  
"Time" – I said calmly. Meeting his disappointed look I added – "He might reconsider, and in the meantime we'll think of something"  
"Just don't say I didn't warn ya" – Sans said getting more comfortable and closing his eyes – "I'm gonna nap" - Unconsciously I smiled watching him for a bit.  
Resting my head on a cushion I closed my eyes recalling everything Alphys and Sans told me about my Soul.

If they knew nothing about it, I had to find out on my own. Thinking about it I realized that it would be the most logical solution: it was my Soul after all, I ought to know it better than anyone else.  
"It won't be that hard" – I thought to myself – "if I know where to start, that is"  
I let out a sigh trying my best to think of something.

"Sis can I go out to play?" – Frisk's cheerful voice broke me out of my thoughts.  
"Sure, just come back before dark" – I said throwing a quick glance at him – "and let me know if you're cold" – I added as he sprinted out hearing a distant "ok" as a reply.  
Papyrus was now in his room, so I had some time to experiment without being disturbed.  
In order to do anything with a Soul it had to be outside one's body, I knew that much. For some reason I didn't want anyone to find out about my plan, so I couldn't risk starting a battle with Sans, since it could wake him up, plus I had no clue how to start a battle.  
Then an idea popped up. I recalled the moment when Alphis' device called out my Soul and the feeling I had at that time. Closing my eyes I chased away all other thoughts and concentrated solely on that feeling. Nothing happened. I tried again, then few more times. Nothing happened.

"The feeling was quite unpleasant" – I thought to myself – "it doesn't feel that way for a battle… maybe because the Soul was, in a way, taken out by force that time?"  
If that was the case maybe I had to try something else… but what?

I took a deep breath relaxing my muscles and closing my eyes once again. I pictured my Soul in front of me, its warm and welcoming aura, its beautiful color that was so dear to me, the way it felt at touch, the way the light shone through it. Every small detail made the image in my mind a bit clearer. I let myself get lost in it forgetting the reality completely.  
Then it was there, I knew it was though I couldn't see it. I was too scared to open my eyes, so raising my hand I reached for it, but the moment I moved it disappeared.  
Clearing my mind I tried again. This time it took me a bit less effort and time to call it out.  
Instead of moving I simply opened my eyes, for a moment the Soul flickered then disappeared yet again.  
At that moment my happiness had no bounds. I was able to do it, I called out my Soul on my own free will. Though I knew I did it before, seeing it with my own eyes felt different, I felt more connected to it.

"Something happened?" – Sans' voice pulled me back into reality – "I can feel your happiness with my eyes closed"  
He meant it literally too. Opening one eye socket he smiled wide enough to expose his golden tooth. It was pointless to hide it or try to lie to him, so I just smiled.  
"It did" – I said sparking his interest – "but it's a secret, I'll tell you later"  
"Oh come on. When?"  
I shrugged – "I don't know yet"  
I didn't even know what I was doing, let alone when I'd be done. He tried to elicit the information from me few more times, but soon I was able to distract him, or maybe he gave up for the day, in any case I succeeded.

It was getting late when Frisk came back with Flowey. Though we were all sleepy we decided to eat something before going to bed. Luckily Papyrus made some food, so we didn't have to cook.  
Me, Frisk and Flowey stayed in Sans' room, at least until I recovered. Leaving us there the skeleton went downstairs and practically fell onto the couch falling asleep in that same position.

Sleep abandoned me for good, so I decided to read a book that I found on the floor: it was a medical book from surface. I figured Sans found it in the Waterfall, since all the pages were visibly dried.  
I didn't understand much from it, mainly because Frisk's curiosity kicked in and he kept asking random questions.  
"Why did you come back here?" – Asked Flowey when question rampage was over and Frisk finally fell asleep – "didn't he already show how much he "care" about you?"  
"He regrets it, Flowey. I know he does" – I said closing the book – "giving him another chance would only be fair"  
"Isn't that what you want to be?"  
"Maybe" – I smiled slightly.  
I didn't want to tell him the reason behind Sans' actions. It was a bit too private and scary to talk about even with someone like Flowey, or anyone at all, Sans just happened to see it.

"Also. Really?" – Flowy crossed his leaves – "Smiley Trashbag… Couldn't you think of a better note?"  
"I didn't want anyone else to understand" – I laughed – "and your nickname for him was the first thing I thought of"  
"Quite" – Flowey whispered almost terrified – "what if he hears"  
"Don't worry" – I petted his head gently – "I won't let him hurt you. Plus he's probably asleep"

I got under the blanket as Flowey turned the light off with one of his vines. He then wrapped himself with a little blanket we got for him and closed his eyes.  
For some time I lay in silence letting numerous thoughts and images flash in my mind, until a bright one appeared as if in reality, it was my Soul.  
I threw a glance at Flowey, seeing he was now asleep I bit my lip slightly.  
"Now's the perfect time to try" – I thought closing my eyes – "I'm not sleepy either"

Taking a deep breath I once again imagined the Soul with every detail I could. I thought of how it felt when it got hit, when I healed it and the way it felt when I attacked Papyrus.  
It was a dark, scary feeling I would even say dangerous, something I wanted to chase away immediately, but didn't. It was part of my Soul, part of me. If I was to take control of it I had to accept its every part, even the ones I didn't like, and it worked: the moment I accepted it as part of my nature the Soul showed up in front of me.

For the next few days I practiced whenever I had a chance. With every feeling I added I was able to call for the Soul a bit easier, but it would disappear the moment my concentration weakened. Eventually I was able to call it out without blocking out my senses like before, all except for vision.

Papyrus changed a bit, going back to his old loud and somewhat caring self. I tried my best to be friendly with him and he responded accordingly. He tried to not show it, but I could tell he was trying to apologize.  
Sans would help me with my recovery, making everything as comfortable as he could and chasing away Papyrus whenever possible. He would also change my bandages and treat the wounds daily and by the end of the week I was able to lean on my foot slightly, though I tried not to.

On the day when we had to go to the Lab I called out my Soul one more time as Sans was "getting ready" and honestly I had no idea what he was doing. I stared at the hovering heart in front of me for a couple of seconds before it disappeared.  
Hearing footsteps I snapped out of it returning to reality.  
"Donno why I didn't think of this before, but here" – he said handing me a long wooden stick – "you'll at least be able to walk a bit by yourself"

Leaning on it I stood up, then tried to take several steps. It wasn't as easy as I thought it would be, but nothing I couldn't handle. The stick was a bit shorter then me and had a crooked top making it look like an actual staff.  
"Thanks, this is pretty nice" – I said examining it a bit more – "wish I could shoot fireballs from this"  
Meeting Sans' confused look I sighed taking his extended hand then proceeded in explaining what the hell I was talking about and the whole concept of a sorcerer staff. For him it all sounded stupid and ridiculous, while I absolutely loved the idea.

Before I knew it Sans was already leading me through the darkness of the shortcut. It instantly brought back the freaky memories of the voice. Unconsciously I held his hand tighter and walked as close to him as possible. I didn't make a sound while in there, instead I watched the surroundings for any unexpected static and listened closely, but all I could hear was silence.  
Once outside I relaxed my muscles I didn't realize I tensed up and loosened the grip on Sans' hand eventually letting it go. The one good thing that came out of this shortcut trip was that I got used to handling my staff, to some extent at least.

We were standing by the Lab entrance. Sans raised his hand to knock, but pulled it back and looked at me with a wide smile, I couldn't help but wonder what he was scheming.  
"So…" – he started – "do ya mind if I call ya my girlfriend from now on"  
"… … … eh?"  
My heartbeat got extremely fast, blood rushed to my face painting it red. Thoughts flashed through my mind, most of them not related to the problem at hand, but they were still there not letting me think rationally.  
"I wouldn't mind that" – I blurted out.  
When the words finally sank in and I realized what I said and what it meant the blush got of a deeper color and spread out further. Looking away from a little surprised, but happy skeleton I pulled my hood on trying to hide my face.  
I didn't even try to deny anything, that was how I felt after all and now it was out of the way. Sometimes I really loved my not thinking and stupid self.

Sans waited patiently as I calmed myself down, I thought I heard him hum quietly, but wasn't sure. When I slowly calmed down to the point where my blush was gone I knocked at the door. Just like last time it opened instantly and we got into a familiar lab.  
Getting into the elevator we went down. I wouldn't dare look at my companion's face during the ride and the journey through the corridors that followed.  
Sans helped me sit on an examination table then left saying he was gonna find Alphys.

Staying alone I called out my Soul that had the crimson flowers a bit out-curved and glowing as if trying to come out. Staring at it I did my best to keep it out, for that I had to constantly sort out my thoughts not letting myself get lost in them or get distracted. And God knew it was easy for that to happen after my relationship update.  
It took me a lot of effort and exhausted me a bit, but I was able to keep the Soul in my sight for a couple of minutes before hearing footsteps outside the room.

The two monsters came in seconds later. Alphys was holding some files and looked really excited about something.  
"Hello" – she greeted me with a bright smile on her face – "let's see how you are"

Putting the files next to me she took off the bandages and started to examine the wounds that were already healing up. I just went along with it, not mentioning anything, although it was obvious she couldn't wait to tell us something. As expected from the Royal scientist it didn't affect her professionalism as she treated the wounds with patience and care.  
After finishing with everything she picked up her files and stepped back giving me a wide smile.  
"Going through the notes about your Soul I found something" – she began – "when you're scared or in danger it emits energy similar to the barrier around this place. I think that's the reason why Undyne's spear broke"  
I didn't reply, simply nodded at her as I tried to connect all the dots. It actually made sense now – "Sans was right after all. There really is a magician's Soul in me" – I though.

I noticed few sweat drops forming on Sans' skull.  
"That sounds really helpful actually, thanks" – I said distracting him from Alphys, who he was glaring at – "At least I now understand some things. Anything else you found?"  
"Yes and no" – she said looking through her files – "your Soul is different in some other ways too, but I just don't understand them. I assume that the time when the battle against Undyne stopped was also because of it and if that's the case it would mean that your Soul is somehow braking the rules established by monsters and their magic"  
She looked really confused and, in a way helpless. Closing the files she let out a sigh.  
"I'll look into this a little more and let you know when I figure out something… That reminds me"  
Alphys went out and came back moments later holding something.  
"Here. I know that cell phones from surface don't work here, so these will come in handy" – she handed me over two old looking flip phones – "I already added my number in these, so if you need anything give me a call"  
"Thanks" – I smiled stuffing them in my pockets – "by the way, I wanted to ask you something. Why do you know more about my Soul than I do? I mean… isn't it supposed to be other way around, after all it's my Soul"

And just like that stopped working. She looked confused and lost by the question, she didn't even bother to look into her notes, like she always did by her habit. The awkward silence was broken by sudden footsteps.  
"We gotta go now" – said Sans coldly, picking me up as if I weighted nothing. I barely managed to grab my staff before he teleported.  
"Why did you do that?" – I hissed.  
"She almost figured out your nature, maybe even did already, I don't like it. And your question didn't help"  
"I thought she could be trusted"  
"Not to that extent, sunshine. I won't trust ANYONE with your life or your Soul"  
I was slightly touched by that, but at the same time I felt bad for leaving Alphys like that, especially when she was so excited, minus the fact that I asked a lethal question.  
"Ok, I'll trust you with this one" – I muttered closing my eyes – "do you, by any chance know the answer?"  
"nope"

A distant, barely audible static caught my attention forcing my thoughts to vanish as I opened my eyes in fear. I couldn't help but wonder, was it always there?

Right when we returned into reality I thought I saw a black silhouette in the darkness.

Though it was pitch black around us it somehow was darker.

And as I heard a quite chuckle from its direction it got yet darker.


	12. Barrier

Putting me down on the bed in his room Sans crouched down in front of me.  
"I know ya don't like the shortcuts, but ya don't have to be that scared" – he said putting his hand on my chest where my Soul was. Though it did help with my fear I chose to no relax just yet.  
"The voice I told you about" – I said quietly – "What did you find out about it?"  
He was taken aback by the question, but after short silence and hesitation spoke.  
"Nothing, I couldn't find anything"  
His voice was, though barely apparent, shaky and he did his best to not look at me. His behavior worried me, to say the least, but realizing that there was something Sans was scared of made me paranoid.

I leaned forward meeting his eyes… sockets.  
"Come on, Sans. I don't know why you're trying to hide it from me, but it won't help me in any way. I'd rather know what I'm… we're facing. Our fallowing actions might depend on it"  
After a short pause Sans sighed and sat next to me.  
"I'm not sure about this, since I haven't seen or heard it myself, but I've got an idea"  
I waited patiently while he collected his thoughts.  
"Before Alphis there was another scientist working for the king. Donno how it happened, but one day I heard he fell into the Core, the main energy generator of the Underground" – after a short pause he continued – "before that incident there was no static in the vo… the shortcuts, I figured it was part of his magic left there, since he was the only other monster that could enter there"  
"Wait, so you think it's him? Then why did you say there was nothing?"  
"Cause there's nothing. There's no way he survived after falling into that thing. What ya saw were probably some traces left behind"  
"Then how did he talk to me?" – Sans was about to traverse, but I cut him off – "the words were directed at me, he said "your Soul seems interesting" or something like that. That's too much of a coincidence if you ask me"

Sans appeared to be in deep thoughts for quite some time.  
"There's also today" – I said catching his attention right away.  
"What do ya mean, what happened today?" – He grabbed my hand with a worried expression.  
"I think I saw him. I saw someone, that's for sure: a dark silhouette and heard laughter and static from that direction. It was really quiet, so I'm not surprised you didn't hear… You, didn't, right?" – Sans shook his head – "Anyway, I want to ask you something: please don't use shortcuts for the time being, at least until we figure out everything. I'm worried"  
He nodded, though obviously didn't like the idea.

A month had passed since then.  
Our friendship with Papyrus had gone back to normal, he even apologized and by that I mean he decided to "spare" me, because I was too weak. He was pleased when I didn't argue and simply thanked him for his generosity. After that Frisk finally stopped being mad and made up with the tall skeleton by cooking with him.  
Surprisingly Flowey got used to living here enough to not complain about it every other day and even mentioned once that he liked the town and the house. He was ok with Papyrus, yet his trust for Sans didn't improve at all. The flower was still too cautious around him both while doing or saying anything and didn't like the guy overall.  
My relationship with Sans improved quite a bit too, not just as a couple, about which he would brag to anyone he met, but also as friends too. We could talk about anything and everything without worrying, doing stupid things without feeling awkward. It really felt like a family.

The recovery went quite well and fast: probably thanks to monster magic. I could now lean on my foot slightly and walking was getting easier with each passing day. We visited Alphys one more time and she told me that both of my wounds will heal up without any problems in the future.  
She didn't have any more news about my Soul and I was glad she didn't. I wanted to uncover everything on my own without letting anyone know, not until I was ready.

But not everything was perfect. A couple of times I heard the static both in my dreams and while awake. It was barely audible: like from another reality, but it was there, my Soul could feel it too. Each time was followed by a weird dream of me being somewhere in Snowdin or Waterfall surrounded by grey dust, whatever it meant it scared me. I told Sans everything, but he didn't know what it was or how to deal with it.  
The only way I could feel more confident and protected was to make my Soul stronger, so I concentrated on that whenever I wasn't helping out in the house. Because of that I barely ever went out.  
Soon I was able to call out my Soul and keep it there with no effort. Once outside I barely ever needed to concentrate on it like before, it would stay there for as long as I wanted. But it was far from enough, now I needed a new plan.

"Got it" – I muttered while half asleep staring at the ceiling one morning – "best idea in the universe"  
Alphys said something about my Soul having similar magic as the barrier and that I blocked Undyne's attack thanks to that. That was a good place to start, somehow I had a feeling that it would work.  
I glanced at Sans, who had once again crawled into the bed while I was asleep, not that it bothered me. This was his room, so I couldn't really complain… that was the excuse I used for Flowey and Papyrus, though the two of us knew how I really felt. I was just feeling too awkward talking about it just yet.

Seeing that my boyfriend was sound asleep I decided to experiment and called out my Soul. I figured that since it was a barrier, or a shield in my case, I should think about what I wanted and had to protect, about Flowey and Frisk. For some time nothing changed, it didn't even feel different. Staring at it a bit I poked it, which was a habit I developed through past weeks. Nothing happened.  
I then poked it again, but this time more aggressively as if in attempt to hurt it, trying to imitate what I felt from Undyne's spear.  
In a small area around my finger hexagons appeared of a dark, almost black color, with bright purple outlines forming a pattern similar to a honeycomb, but with more chaotic structure.

"It worked, but it's not that strong, at least I don't think it is" – I thought tracing every part of the Soul. The barrier followed my fingertip not letting me actually touch anything beneath.  
I wanted to try it with something other than myself, something small that wouldn't actually hurt me. The only thing I could think of at that moment was a coin.  
Moving carefully to not wake anyone up I reached for my bag and took a golden coin out of it. Lying back down I took a deep breath, I was somewhat nervous, but if that worked I would've become the happiest woman on earth.

Throwing the coin in the air I called out my Soul and put up a barrier, or I thought I did. Passing right through, the coin fell on my chest dealing me 1 damage. The Soul flickered for a moment then disappeared.  
I tried again, this time on its way back the coin bounced off from the surface of the Soul and with a quiet click broke the barrier.  
Luckily it was still early in the morning and no one would wake up for a couple of more hours, so I could practice to my heart's content.

It took me almost an hour to get a hang of it. I got hurt a couple of more times, but never again did the barrier brake. It took me a bit to understand that the barrier was created from my perseverance and it required determination to keep it together. The more determination I had the stronger it got.

The coin was once again in the air and the barrier was up. Thoughts and memories flooded my mind and for a moment it seemed like the time itself slowed down as I got lost in them. The memories of the darkness, the creepy voice, the silhouette and quiet static appeared in front of me erasing all others.  
I couldn't, wasn't going to let him hurt me or anyone I care about, I refused to let him scare me. From that thoughts my emotions began to grow, I could feel one stronger and clearer than any other: anger. Clutching my fists I let it out.

A piercing sound filled the room making me cover my ears as the coin shattered in the air before having a chance to get close to me.  
My eyes widened as I watched the pieces of gold sparkle in the air before scattering across the room – "Did I just do that?"

Before I could properly react Sans was already on his feet looking around. He quickly noticed my Soul and, obviously, that it was hurt. It wasn't bad, I didn't take that much damage, but it was out of ordinary, so he got worried.  
"What happened, sunshine, who was here?" – He tried to comfort me, while panicking himself. Then his gaze locked on the door – "I'll get them" – for a moment his voice sounded more like a growl of a beast.

I barely managed to grab his hand and stop him before he could walk out or teleport.  
"Calm down, Sans, no one was here" – I gave him a reassuring smile, but it didn't convince him – "it was me"  
"What do you mean?" – Sans gave me a puzzled look.  
"I wanted to try something with my Soul. It got hurt in the process, but nothing serious"  
"What exactly?" – He asked coldly.  
"Actually, I already did, look" – with that the heart shape, that I previously hid was in front of me – "It took me some time, but now I can call it forth whenever I want to, without entering a fight"

Without changing his cold expression Sans stepped forward and held the Soul in his hand – "you think this is good? It only means I can crush it like this, like you said without entering a fight" – with that he clutched his fist.  
A barrier broke, then another one, I was holding on the third one with all my might when he let go. Looking up I saw his expression shifted: it was now filled with fury with a hint of hatred.  
"Was that a barrier?"  
"Yeah, it was. It shouldn't be surprising to you, I am a magician after all"  
"Sadly that's a thing. I hope I'll never see or touch it again" – Sans turned around to leave.  
"Me too" – I said quietly as he closed the door.  
I knew that his words weren't exactly directed at me and that he had more than enough reasons to hate the power I possessed, but it still hurt a lot. I gave my all to just let go of this and forgive him without asking anything in return at least this once.  
"Guess I shouldn't have been so excited" – I muttered feeling the sleep take over.  
My rest was calm, though I thought I heard a familiar voice whisper to me through a thick layer on dream.

Waking up a couple of hours later I changed my clothes that I bought from the shop and went downstairs. I finally had something that fit me: dark brown jeans and a red loose sweater long enough to cover my hips. Around my neck was a pendant on a long chain that I got made from the crystal shard I collected.  
"HUMAN! I SEE YOU'RE GETTING LAZY" – Papyrus' voice pierced the air the moment he saw me – "THAT'S BECAUSE OF MY BROTHER ISN'T IT?"  
I shrugged – "I'm not sure if that's how it works"  
"ANYWAY, I HAVE AN IDEA! SANS DIDN'T LIKE IT, BUT I'M SURE YOU'RE BRAVER THEN HIM" – I gave him an interested look, so he continued – "WE SHOULD GO SEE UNDYNE"  
"why?"  
"I THINK YOU'LL BE GOOD FRIENDS"

Was he for real? I didn't know if I could trust that woman and in the state I was in I wouldn't be able to do anything if she… wasn't friendly enough. On the other hand if I succeeded we'd have the head of the Royal Guard on our side, that would help to say the least.  
I looked at Frisk and he nodded furiously, obviously too excited.  
"Ok, let's do this" – I said looking back at Papyrus who gave me one of his rare warm smiles.  
Sans seemed grumpy about my decision, but didn't argue, instead he decided to come along.  
After a light meal we were ready to head out. I got to wear the new boots Sans got for me for the first time, somehow he managed to pick a pair that fit perfectly and was quite warm and comfortable.  
The monsters once again hid themselves and the town was dead silent. I tried not to show how much I hated it and managed to trick almost everyone.

The ride in the boat was peaceful. Closing my eyes I listened closely to the quiet water and distant voices echoing from flowers, that I failed to notice last time. One of the echoes, in particular, caught my attention, an echo of a lone flower by the shore separated from others by cliffs and darkness. I couldn't hear a voice from it, instead there was a serene melody. It seemed so familiar, but I couldn't remember where or when I heard it, not right away.  
"Sans, that flower" – I whispered tapping his shoulder lightly – "does it always play this tune?"  
"Yeah, for as long as I remember. Why?"  
"That's the tune I heard from the water" – I said as quietly as I could leaning closer to his skull – "you know the glowing water"  
"But we're too far from there"  
"Well, yeah. Flowers can't record that, the ones near the water didn't. It has to be something else…"  
The rest of the ride we were trying to figure it out, sharing ideas and theories that randomly popped in our heads, but to no avail. There were no clues whatsoever and we didn't even know where to start searching for them.

Soon we reached our destination. The boat stopped in front of a familiar cave. Among the shining gems there sat old Gerson, writing something in his notebook looking grumpy as always. I said hi to him and got an angry mumble about young kids disturbing his piece as an answer.  
As we fallowed Papyrus, who kept saying that we were almost there, I kept watching the glimpse of cyan water shining brightly from afar. I really missed it and, of course, the melody too: somehow it felt special hearing it here, while the echo wasn't different from any other song I've heard through the years.

Once it was out of my sight I finally looked forward. Besides Papyrus' back in front of my face I saw the fish-house me and Frisk were trying to get into… good thing we didn't.  
Now it actually made sense to me: a fish monster having a fish house, it was a bit too obvious for my taste, but I decided not to question it.  
In a couple of seconds after Papyrus knocked, the door opened. My view was blocked by the tall skeleton and everybody else lined up behind me – "so thoughtful" – I chuckled looking back.

"I see you've come" – said Undyne's voice from somewhere above – "ready for our special one on one battle?"  
"YOU BET I AM" – yelled Papyrus a bit too maniacally even for him – "THOUGH YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO WIN THIS TIME!"  
Stepping aside he showed his trump card a.k.a. me to his opponent – "I CHALLENGE YOU TO BEFRIEND HER"  
Without her armor Undyne looked so different. She was thin and tall with relatively narrow shoulders, blue scales seemingly scattered on her arms shone ever so slightly deflecting the light from the windows, her long fingers were connected with thin see-through fins. She was wearing a white tank top and dark red tight pants.  
"Why won't you guys come in?" – She said a little too calmly, yet her eye was twitching with anger.  
Taking a deep breath I walked forth, then throwing a glance at Papyrus smirked – "this time?"  
"Shut up" – he muttered clearly too embarrassed of his own mistake.

Inside of the house was as I remembered: a kitchen, a table with just one stool and a piano.  
It felt a lot cozier than I originally thought. Frisk occupied the stool before anyone could do anything, so the rest of us plumped down on the floor.  
Sans, who obviously sat next to me, held on my waist and refused to let go saying he "doesn't trust the fish"

Papyrus and Undyne made some tea while glaring at each other trying to look superior then sat down too. The awkward silence was only broken by our tea sipping, or rather a melodic slurping of a certain someone next to me who didn't give two shits about manners.  
"Go on, laugh" – finally said Undyne slamming her fist on table – "that's why you came here, right? To mock me, because I lost to a weak human like yourself."  
Judging by Undyne's personality I knew that being nice and sweet to her wouldn't do me any good. I had to take the risk and talk with more confidence and courage in every word.  
"If I wanted to laugh at you I already would've been" – I said sipping some tea trying to look calm – "like Papyrus said we're here to challenge you: be friends with me"  
"Why would I ever be friends with someone like you?" – Undyne hissed showing her teeth – "You're weak, pathetic. During a fair fight you hid behind that bone guy, so you can get away"  
"So you're giving up?" – I cut her off.

For several seconds she stared at me with mix of emotions swirling on her face.  
"I SEE HOW IT IS" – yelled Papyrus going along with my words – "WELL, I HAVE TO ATTEND TO MY DUTIES NOW, SO I'LL HAVE TO CHECK HOW YOU DID LATER. BUT SEEING HOW IT GOES, I THINK I'LL WIN"  
With that the skeleton walked away, a bit later from the outside a loud laughter could be heard.  
"Is he for real?" – Undyne smirked – "I can make friends with someone like you any day! Human" – she grabbed my arm giving me a wide maniacal looking smile – "we'll be best friends!"  
"Uh-huh"

Next half an hour she spent "chatting" with me. She was obviously forcing herself, asking me painfully stereotypical questions in "what's your favorite color" caliber. Soon she opened up just enough to lead a normal conversation. Frisk's and Flowey's presence really helped as they joined in making things more fun and less awkward.  
Though it still was awkward at times, we managed to break the ice between us enough to not get on her nerves by simply existing.

Then she remembered something I wished she didn't.  
"My challenge for Papyrus, I didn't get to tell him" – she stated with her face shining with realization – "and since he chickened out, you'll have do it for him. We're gonna cook!"  
She bolted up with "NGAAA" and ran to the stove that was literally two steps away from her.  
"Are you coming or what?" – yelled the tall fish looking back.  
"I'm already here"  
She somehow didn't notice that I already moved and was standing next to her with a face expressing boredom in its purest form: truly a majestic experience.

"We're gonna make pasta. My favorite!"  
"damn it"  
"Homemade noodles are the best!"  
"not that"  
"But I buy store brand. They're the cheapest"  
"thank God"  
Undyne stomped and a box of MTT brand spaghetti fell from… somewhere, I didn't bother to look up. Whatever wormhole there was, I probably wouldn't see anyway.

== Sans ==

The way she talked and behaved in front of Undyne throughout the day was daring. She looked braver than ever, but her Soul was restless. It cloaked itself with a strong barrier similar to the one Sans saw in the forest, though back then he didn't know what it was.  
It was incredible how she managed to hide all her worries and fears behind a mask of confidence. If not for his ability Sans would've been deceived too.

"And why did she agree to cook?" – Sans muttered resting his head in his hand.  
"Because sis wants to be friends with her" – said Frisk drawing the skeleton's attention to himself.  
"I think it's necessary if we want to be on good terms with that lady" – added Flowey, then hid himself behind the child realizing who he was talking to.  
Sans chuckled seeing the terrified and helpless little monster hiding behind a helpless kid.  
"How can she not see this? Their faces, when they realize what I can do to them or remember what I did, are amusing" – he thought looking back at the human girl trying to understand her.

She often acted so differently from her Soul, sometimes did the exact opposite of what the Soul requested, yet she was somehow perfectly in sync with it and even strengthened her connection to it.  
She was working really hard on something so stupid, yet smiling, she was talking to a woman that almost killed her and would try again if given the chance, yet laughing.  
Sans was trying to understand her, there had to be something that allowed her to do all that, something he didn't see or maybe was much deeper within her, somewhere he didn't know of. It seemed like there was much more to the humans than monsters ever imagined. The traits, the colors, the Soul seemed to be just the surface.

Letting out a sigh Sans returned to the reality he unwillingly forgot about.  
"Does she do this a lot?" – He asked looking at the kid who pulled out a thin story book from his sister's bag – "it seems like she knows what she's doing"  
"She does!" – Frisk yelled making everyone look at him for a moment, then continued relatively quiet – "she always cooks for me. And she helps me with my homework and buys lots of stuff for me"  
"Does she do everything, what about you parents?"  
"I don't see dad often and I don't remember my mom, but sis says she was really nice. She says I look like her"  
Several more questions followed allowing Sans to learn a bit more about things he never talked about with her.

== Reader ==

"Well that was a struggle" – I said putting the food on the table  
"Really?" – Sans said getting ready to tease me.  
"No… now let's eat and see who cooked better"  
The sauces we made both looked delicious. Mine was quite simple: vegetables with chicken that apparently existed in the underground. Judging by the smell and the amount of spices Undyne used, hers was bound to be either really good or really bad, no in-between. Luckily for everyone present it was the first one: spicy but yummy.

After talking with her some more during the meal, she didn't seem like the scary murderous creature we originally feared. She was mean, but at the same time managed to be nice, she was cheerful at times and angry at others, showing passion in everything she did made her really fun to hang out with.  
At one point I really wanted to be her friend, not because it was beneficial for me and Frisk, but because I liked her.

"What about the challenges?" - Undyne asked as we were about to leave – "I believe I won"  
"How about a draw?" – I smiled after thinking for a bit – "I think we both did a good job"  
Giving me a huge warm smile Undyne shook my hand.  
"I like that"


	13. WD Gaster

As time passed the townsfolk got used to two humans living alongside them. As I started going out and taking walks almost every day they began to recognize me first as a "human who lives with skeletons" then "the nice girl" especially when they realized that Sans wouldn't hurt them when he's with me. According to them nice people were uncommon it those parts, though I couldn't see how that was accurate.  
Monster Kid was scared of us when he finally realized what kind of creatures we were and would avoid us at any cost, but soon decided that it was cool. After that him Frisk and Flowey pretty much became best friends, thankfully his parents weren't wary of Frisk and didn't mind their son playing with him.  
I was still using my staff, at times by habit, others just in case, since my foot would sometimes hurt slightly when walking.

Sometimes I would go with Sans to his job. It would actually be pretty boring if no one's around. He was a sentry on a lookout for humans, though no one fell down in months, sometimes in years. I was glad to be there in case someone actually did walk through the ancient gates hidden deep in the darkness of the forest.

At times me and Sans just sat there next to each other in silence, each of us doing their thing for hours. It was more comforting then constantly talking: just feeling the touch of one another or their presence not far away, hearing their breathing in the silence of the day.  
Our Souls learned to feel one another and even when we couldn't see each other we always knew when we were close.

Sans soon accepted the idea of a barrier and though it took me a long time I was able to convince him to help me with it. It helped immensely as I not only learned to block magic, but also attacks of one of the strongest monsters in the Underground, according to Sans.  
It took me quite some time to be able to block all his attacks, the strongest one was a canine skull he called "GB". He started off with weak beams of crimson magic from quite small skulls and it took me more than a week to get a hang of it, but by the end of it even the strongest one wouldn't scratch me.  
He said it progressed way too quickly and looked worried, but wouldn't say what was wrong. I assumed it was just strange or out of ordinary, though he had never seen a magician's Soul before and couldn't have known how it was supposed to be.

At first it seemed like my Soul had become invulnerable, since I was able to block both magical and material attacks as well as keep out anything I wanted. But soon we found the weak point: though the barrier could block out anything the Soul itself was defenseless against monsters themselves, shortly put: I couldn't let any monster get close to me, not when the Soul was out.  
We also managed to figure out what caused some unusual things to happen around me, like being able to attack during my opponent's turn, which happened with Papyrus, not letting the battle to begin at all, just like with Undyne: when I "mixed" courage with determination I could bend or break the rules monsters created. That gave me a huge advantage, but exhausted me faster than I'd like.

Me and Undyne became friends pretty quickly and hanged out several time. She treated us really well and assured that we could walk around Waterfall without worrying about being attacked. She promised to take care of that.  
It was getting late when I ran into her by the river near Waterfall entrance. After chatting for a while I headed home. It was already dark and the lights in the houses were off. The only source of light I had was my pendant that shone vaguely illuminating a small area in front of me. That wasn't much, but since I remembered the layout of the town perfectly it was enough.  
Walking into the dark house I locked the door behind me and headed upstairs. Yawning I put on my pajamas and cuddled comfortably in blankets between the wall and Sans and quickly fell asleep.

_  
I was looking down at my hands. Grey dust was covering my arms, the knife in my hand and my old clothes up to my elbows as well as my chest and stomach.  
A drop of blood fell from the blade in my hand turning into dust upon touching the golden floor.  
Looking forward I found the source. Sans was on his knees not too far away from me clenching his shirt. A deep cut on his chest was bleeding letting out all that was left of his life right before me, yet I didn't feel sad, instead pride grew inside of me.  
Sheathing my knife I walked past him hearing a heavy cloth fall behind me.  
Without looking back I walked out of the golden hallway.

As I came to my senses I found myself surrounded with darkness.  
"Great. Another creepy dream, now the asshole will play his stupid static, as if he doesn't have anything better to do" – I thought crossing my arms, while doing slow flips in zero gravity – "what is he trying to achieve?"

"Your Soul is getting more and more interesting each time we meet" – the voice murmured in my ear – "with it I can leave this place at last"  
"As if I'll let you" – I smirked in an attempt to hide my fear – "who are you anyway?"  
"Where are my manners" – the voice was now right in front of me – "my name is W.D. Gaster. I am a Royal Scientist… was, before the unfortunate incident, but I trust you have heard of it"  
"Yeah, I have. I've also been told that it's impossible to survive after that"  
"Yes, that would be correct under normal circumstances, but you see, at the time I existed in the Void as well" – he explained – "that allowed my consciousness to remain in this realm while my body perished"

I felt bad for the guy, he was trapped here for God knows how long with no hope of leaving and no one looked for him. Rather Sans didn't while feeling his magic, no one else knew about this place, with that thought I got a bit angry at him.  
Gaster was still creepy and, God knew, I was scared of him, but at the same time I wanted to help. Maybe I could find a way to get him out without giving up my Soul, maybe I could help him escape this prison where he would slowly turn insane as the eternity passed.

"Why are you showing me those dreams?" – I asked. Despite everything it was something I still had to figure out. I was sure it was his doing, but the reason was not yet clear.  
"Dreams?" – A hint of amusement was present in his calm voice – "those are not dreams, I am simply refreshing your memory"  
"What do you mean? Pretty sure my memory is fine" – His words made me more worried than I'd want to admit.  
"This is your second timeline, my dear" – he chuckled – "and your first one was exactly the way I wanted. Although that child ruined everything for me by resetting at the very last moment I am not disappointed, since now I will get your Soul in its full potential"  
"Do you really think I'll just give up my Soul, just cause you asked? And what's with that memory nonsense, you think I'll believe you?" - Was he really saying I killed Sans? No, there was no way, he was messing with me.

I felt a pair of fingers against my chin tilting my head up gently. Looking straight up my eyes met with his violet, dimly glowing pupils in the center of empty eye sockets that were locked on me as if piercing right into my soul.  
From his half closed right eye a scar in form of a large crack traced up his skull disappearing behind his head, a smaller one was connecting his other eye to his mouth.  
He was tall, taller than Papyrus, slim with broad shoulders. He was elegant, nothing like the monsters I met here. I'd even go as far as to say he was attractive, compared to humans too.  
His left hand was placed on his chest, as if bowing. Compared to mine it was big, huge even, with big round hole in the palm, his long fingers: slim and elegant.  
He was wearing a silvery grey turtleneck and a long black robe that seemingly melded with the darkness surrounding us.

His whole being emitted danger, keeping me paralyzed, too scared to look away.  
His gentle smile suddenly widened turning into a menacing one as his violet pupils tuned dark and wide.  
"It does not matter if you believe me, my dear" – his calm voice now had a hint of deep roar within – "you did that, you killed every single monster in the Underground and I expected you to do the same the second time, after all your Soul suited me much better back then"

Before I knew it I was sitting in my bed with my arms wrapped around myself. I sighed in relief realizing that I was outside, away from _him_. Then the memories of the dream came back making me scared, anxious, they left me trembling.  
I felt my breathing and heartbeat quicken when I remembered Gaster's voice and the words he spoke.  
I didn't believe him, refused to. He was messing with me, there was no way I did something so horrible. And if I did, why would he tell me? There was some kind of motive behind it, I knew it. With that thought hatred and anger arouse within me growing stronger and stronger with each breath as I slowly lost myself in the feeling.  
"I'll kill him… I definitely will" – the words lingered in my mind though I was trying to rid myself of them before giving up and letting them erase everything else.

Familiar arms wrapping around me pulled me back to reality chasing away all the thoughts as a gentle voice called out my name.  
Sans' embrace was comfortable and warm. Putting my head on his shoulder I felt my heartbeat get even, my breath: calm. Only then did I notice that I clutched my flash hard enough to draw blood. Letting go of my aching arms I hugged Sans feeling tears streaming down my face.  
"I'm sorry" – I muttered through tears – "I'm so sorry, Sans"  
"What are ya saying, sunshine? Ya didn't do anything"  
"I did…" – before I could finish doubt took over my heart: what if he doesn't forgive me? What if his love fades? The thoughts kept me silent for a while.  
'What am I thinking, he probably knows everything already. I did tell him everything about my dreams after all' I thought shaking my head slightly.

"I killed you" – I finally whispered gathering all my courage – "everyone else too. The time repeated itself, but I still did that"  
For a while he only petted my head gently stroking my hair, simply saying "It's ok". I knew it wasn't, it was far from ok, but his words made me feel a little bit better, a little bit safer nonetheless.  
The worst part was that I probably wouldn't reset, even if I could. If it was up to me that reality would've been my present.  
I didn't sleep that night, Sans stayed up too, at least tried to before falling asleep two hours later.  
In order to not think about what happened I grabbed my phone that I was able to charge thanks to Alphys and looked through some pictures from surface, pictures of stars and galaxies letting my mind roam through them forgetting about my worries completely.

I told Sans everything the next day: about the memory, about Gaster and everything he told me.  
"What is he scheming?" – I asked as I finished – "he didn't tell me all that for nothing, he definitely has a plan"  
"I donno, but you really shouldn't listen to him"  
I nodded – "yeah, you're right, but we still need to do something about it, right?"  
We sighed in defeat, there wasn't anything to do and nothing we could think of.

"What kind of person was he?"  
"Person?" – Sans snickered. Not getting any reaction from me he continued – "didn't really know him well, I only worked with him for some time. From what I know he wasn't the nicest guy, even for this place, didn't really care about anyone… heh, didn't care… killing wasn't a problem for him, he would just call it an "experiment" and shrug it off. Shortly put he'd do anything to get the result he wanted for his research"  
With that my hope was gone, the hope to get him out of there, to help him, the hope that he was simply an unfortunate soul trapped in darkness.  
If there wasn't anything I could do for him I had to be able to at least protect myself and Frisk. For that first of all I had to know what he was capable of.

"What type of magic does he use?" – I asked as Sans lay down putting his head on my lap.  
"Similar to mine. Bones and Blasters" – he said closing his eyes.  
"Is he strong?"  
"Stronger than me, so don't try to fight him"  
"I won't" – I promised – "not head on"  
"What d'ya mean?"  
"I don't know yet, but I'm sure we can think of something. We have to at this point"  
"Just don't try anything stupid, sunshine" – Sans mumbled from within sleep.

Left alone with my thoughts I tried to put the little information I had together.  
Gaster was strong and smart, he lacked physical body which prevented me or anyone else from hurting him, and according to Sans he was pretty cruel and evil. That wasn't the best combination, not for me.  
Grabbing my flip phone I quickly typed a message and hit send.  
"Hey Al, what's up?"  
"Nothing much, just working on something"  
Alphys responded quickly as always, despite being busy. We really became close in the short time we knew each other. Hanging out, watching anime or movies or just chatting while taking a stroll had become something natural for us.

"I was curious about someone: the Royal Scientist before you"  
I didn't want to sound too suspicious, so I gave as little information about what I knew as I could.  
"How did you know about him?"  
"Sans said he made the Core, so I got curious" – I typed biting my lip. Did I convince her or did I ask something I shouldn't have?  
"I can't tell you much by texts. How about we meet and talk"  
"Sure. I can come over now. I'm not doing anything anyway"  
Getting an "ok" as a reply few seconds later I softly lifted Sans' head and got up.  
Frisk and Flowey were at Monster Kid's place and would most definitely stay there until it was dark, so there was nothing to worry about at home.

I changed out of my pajamas and living a note for Sans left the house. Just in case I grabbed both my staff and my knife, since there still were monsters who would try to attack me in Hotland.  
Luckily Riverman was around and was happy to take me to my destination.  
"How long have you been around here?" – I asked staring at the ceiling of the dark cavern.  
"Too long"  
"Did you know Gaster?"  
"He was a friend"  
I shifted my gaze to the tall figure in front of me in surprise. I didn't expect them to be acquaintances, let alone friends. The only reason I asked at all was to get information from an "outsider", someone who only heard of scientist's deeds and not his methods, which I assumed was the case at first.  
"Can you tell me a bit about him?"  
Riverman's head turned ever so slightly before he looked forward once again.  
"He was kind and caring once, before giving himself up to the Void. The skeleton boy have told you what he had become, didn't he?"  
"He didn't say much. Only that Gaster was cruel and cold…" – I said trying to make sense of his words.  
Riverman didn't answer, I didn't ask. Time seemed to have been passing slowly, too slowly as the boat made its way through dusk. The only quite sound that barely broke the everlasting silence was the calm water that the oar gently swept through.

I thanked the tall monster stepping on the red sand before turning around.  
Alphis wasn't in the lab when I walked in, so I texted her. "Come to the bottom floor" was my answer. Stepping into the elevator I pushed the button nervously biting my lip. I've never been down there and honestly was a bit scared of it, it had some kind of ominous feel to it.  
As the elevator moved I quickly typed a message for Sans in case something went wrong, but didn't send it just yet.  
"He'd freak out if I do" – I muttered.  
My heart began to race and I hid myself in the corner when the light suddenly went out and the elevator stopped leaving me trapped far underground.

Soon the door opened filling the small space with dim light. Walking out I found myself in a long hallway. The floor was covered with light grey tiles, the walls were mixture of darker blue and grey.  
The light from few bulbs on the high ceiling illuminated the hall just enough for me to see the far end of it, the air in this place was filled with smell of moisture.  
My footsteps braking the dead silence echoed from walls before fading into nothing as I took the only path leading deeper into this haunting place that seemed to have been forgotten long ago.

Several screens on the walls turned on when I was passing by, showing weird symbols I couldn't read, so I decided to ignore them. Soon I reached another hallway with doors on my right as far as the eye could see; some noises and quite footsteps could be heard from my left.  
Making sure that my phone still had a signal I walked in that direction clutching my staff. The large room I found myself in moments later was empty, yet it wasn't. In the middle of it there was a large black machine in a form a canine skull, similar to Sans' blasters, but a lot bigger. It seemed to be floating in the air with nothing but chains to support it, tubes and cords were connected to it from different sides. It was big enough to fill almost the entire room, yet it somehow looked empty.

Standing in front of it I got lost in thoughts as my memories came together like pieces of puzzle, making an image.  
"Sans called his blasters GB… Gaster? He made those?" – My voice turned into a whisper no one but me could hear – "so this is where he worked. No wonder Sans didn't let me come here"  
Sound of rushed footsteps broke me out of my thought as Alphys appeared from darkness. Surprise and nervousness was visible on her face as she lay her eyes upon my figure.  
"I didn't expect you to get here so fast" – she said motioning me to follow her back from where I came.  
"It wasn't fast, you were just too caught up in your work" – I said, but she ignored my remark.

We passed by several old fashioned, greyish doors; one of them was half open, though it was mainly dark I could vaguely see various flasks, bottles and jars inside. Some were empty, while others contained liquids of different colors and consistencies. I only saw it for a split second, but I could swear one of them glowed faint red.

Alphis stopped, opening a door that looked exactly like others, except for its silver and a bit fancier handle instead of usual white ones.  
Turning on the light I looked around. The room we were in was quite small, two tall bookshelves were by the wall to my left; a writing desk in front of me was overflowing with files, notes and books, some of which were open. The layer of dust resting on them evidenced that no one touched anything here for months, maybe even years. From the simple desk lamp there hang a small glass heart shaped pendant filled with red liquid.

"Umm… Alphis, where are we and… why?"  
"You said you wanted to learn about Gaster, so I thought his workplace would be the best place to start" – she smiled – "I actually wanted to come here for a long time, but didn't have the courage"  
"I didn't expect anything like this, this will help a lot, thank you"  
"Well you never ask anything like that unless it's important" – her smile disappeared making her look more serious than ever – "something happened didn't it? Something that included Gaster. Sans wouldn't have said anything unless you mentioned him, he hated the guy more than anything"  
I didn't like that, Alphys saw right through me so easily, I expected her to get suspicious, but not realize everything right off the bat. But more than that I didn't like that she knew something about Sans I didn't. I wanted to say something, express my dislike, but held myself back; I realized it was stupid, of course she did, she knew him far longer than I did.

"We really became close, didn't we?" – I sighed – "yeah, something did happen, but I don't think I can tell you" – Alphys stared long enough for me to give up – "fine… but first tell me: what do you know about Gaster's magic?"  
"It didn't defer from skeleton magic: he could summon bones and, after his research, one of those skulls you saw earlier" – she said with much calmer expression – "and he could use something like shortcuts to move around faster, but I don't fully understand what they were. That too was part of his research"  
I didn't show it in any way, but I was relieved she didn't know much, at least about the Void and its properties. That would allow me to hide the fact that he's stuck there. I really didn't want her to get involved, since I still didn't know what Gaster was capable of.  
"When in Waterfall not too long ago I, kinda, ran into traces of his magic left in the shortcut" – seeing the scientist's confused face I clarified – "I don't know how I got into one, I only saw a dark silhouette in the distance and heard pieces of conversations. I couldn't make out most of it, but "Gaster" popped up in there somewhere, I remembered it and asked Sans"  
"That's it?"  
"I think so… I think I saw something resembling a static, but I'm not sure" – I added. It seemed like she believed, so I stopped.  
I didn't exactly lie to her, but I still felt bad, though I knew this was for the better. Maybe in the future I'd tell her everything, but for now this was the best I could do for her, for both of us.  
Alphys told me a couple of things I already heard from Sans, though she was a lot nicer about it. From her words it was obvious that she really respected and loved the previous scientist. According to her all that he has done was necessary at that time and that he never truly wanted it.

"To tell you the truth I didn't really know him, not on personal level, that's why I thought it would be better to come here and maybe look through his files"  
And so we did, I handed all the medical and scientific files to Alphys and collected everything else myself to look through. From the rare notes we managed to find he really seemed reluctant, but at the same time he never hesitated to perform any type of experiment regardless of how painful it was.  
If someone died he would simply call it failed experiment, the "test subjects", as he called them, didn't even have names. I knew that wasn't the case, of course they had names, every single one of them, he simply never mentioned them, instead there were numbers.  
From twenty four lost, or rather erased names fourteen were human children and one was an adult woman. I couldn't find anything regarding her fate, but the children died, all of them including the monsters.  
It really seemed like he was a heartless creature, just like Sans said.

"I'm gonna go now, it's already been several hours, plus I'm tired" – I said starching – "can I come here again?"  
Alphys nodded without looking up from the pile of files she collected. Reminding her to eat I walked out of the room. The layout of this place was simple, so I could easily find my way around. On my way I checked few rooms, but didn't find anything important or at least something I knew what to do with.  
"I'll get home a bit late, I wanna take a walk" – I quickly typed and sent to Sans as the elevator made its way to the top.

Walking into the cavern full of floating lights I closed my eyes listening to the echoing wishes frozen in time. Filling the silence around me they calmed my spirit and gave me hope. I smiled at the thought of what a simple voice can change at times when everything seemed pointless and impossible. I stopped opening my eyes when they suddenly stopped.  
Gaster was standing not far from me with a gentle smile on his face, hands folded behind his back.  
He appeared right when I was feeling safe, when I thought he couldn't come, since he never did this soon.

Before I knew it, before I could even blink he was right in front of me, his hand starched to my chest where the Soul hovered.  
"How the…" – I muttered as I stepped back blocking his hands off.  
I tried to call my Soul back, but to no avail, aside from that I could control it perfectly.  
"It would be best for you to not resist" – I heard his voice as he disappeared from my sight.  
Holding out my hand I surrounded myself with a barrier and grabbing my knife I waited, there really wasn't anything else I could do. Gaster was trying to get through, I could feel him scratching, attacking, trying to break the barrier, but couldn't hurt it any way.  
After a while he stopped and I felt his tight grip on my Soul as everything turned black.

He finally found the "hole" in her barrier, the incomplete part of it that would let him through, just like the part of the Barrier around this place that made all those children fall down.  
Standing in front of her he smiled wider grabbing the Soul he so desired, it tried to push him away, but wasn't able to.  
Gaster tried to absorb the Soul… But it refused.  
He tried again… But it refused.  
A burning feeling made him let go as he watched the girl in front of him disappear leaving behind a blood red mark that looked like a small tree.  
Tracing his fingers over it he flinched for a moment before his jaws parted revealing big black grin.

The Void cracked opening up a path for her to escape.


	14. Pursuit

I felt fresh snow under my feet and cold snowflakes on my nose, opening my tightly shut eyes I looked around. I didn't recognize the place, but I figured I wasn't far from Snowdin. It was already dark, but I was able to see the area around me.  
The forest was surrounding me with only two paths, one leading to a more open area, another one: deeper into the forest. A sign was standing in the middle of a tiny ice field, I didn't bother to read it and stayed away from the ice completely. On a little platform near the edge of the cliff there stood a snowman. Not paying too much attention to it I moved on too eager to get home. My heart was pounding from fear, I not only traveled this far, but lost a significant amount of time, that never happened with Sans and I had no clue how or why it happened to me, someone who doesn't even possess the ability, I didn't know what to think of it.

I soon reached to somewhat familiar places and felt relief that calmed my heart, at least I wasn't lost or too far from the town. Suddenly I stopped taking out my phone, I realized how worried Sans must be, after all I texted him hours ago. There were no messages or missed calls and the time on the screen still showed the past, which was understandable since I wasn't really _there_ the whole time.  
Calling Sans, who sounded both angry and scared, I gave a brief explanation of what happened and, before he could freak out, told him that was almost there. Passing the long bridge I met face to face with the skeleton who immediately started examining me for injuries. He then gave me a long hug that I returned, it felt safe and calming.

"Are you ok, sunshine?" – He asked after making sure that I wasn't hurt – "What did that bastard do to ya?"  
"I'm fine, he didn't do anything" – I shook my head – "he was trying to take my Soul, I know big shock, and I even felt his grip on it, but somehow I was able to get out of there before he managed to actually do anything" – I paused for a moment – "at least that's what I understand from it"  
"Are ya sure he touched it" – he asked, I nodded – "lemme see"  
Without any questions I called out my Soul and examined it too. Nothing about it had changed, it felt the same too.  
When he couldn't find anything and finally gave up I hid the heart shape for no one to see. Taking my hand Sans led me through the sleeping town. On our way home I told him everything that happened, all my experiences without letting anything slip my mind.  
"Wait, so how did he break the barrier?" – He asked unlocking the door to the only house with lights on.  
"That's the thing, he didn't" – I explained – "the barrier was intact and I didn't feel it breaking or even cracking, it seemed like he just walked through. But I don't understand, if he could do that to begin with why did he go through the trouble of attacking it? Why didn't he just pass through from the beginning?"

My questions remained unanswered when Frisk jumped on me as soon as I stepped in, Flowey too crawled up holding my neck with his leaves. Papyrus didn't say or do anything, though didn't leave either. He looked somewhat relieved as if a huge burden had been taken off of his shoulders. I gave him a soft smile hugging Frisk and Flowey comforting them the best I could.  
They must've been really worried about me. That comforting thought made me so happy I could cry. At that moment I felt at home more than I ever did in many years.  
Frisk stayed with me that night, he probably was more scared than anyone else. Hugging him tightly I sang for him so he could hear my voice as he slowly fell asleep, I did too soon after him.

It was still dark outside when a ringtone woke me up. With my eyes still closed I grabbed my phone after blindly searching for it a while and answered in a sleepy voice. Alphis' panicked voice yelled at me from the other end causing me to wake up a bit more.  
"Thank goodness you picked up! Listen to me, you have to get out of there right now!"  
"Why, what happened?" – I asked getting up.  
"The entire Royal Guard is on its way to get you, all of you"  
"Wait how did you know? Are you certain?" – So many questions flashed in my mind, but I held back from asking them all and concentrated on the ones that seemed important at the moment.  
"I'm certain, Undyne told me. She's leading about thirty monsters your way as we speak" – she said a bit too rushed. The gravity of the situation sinking in made me panic, but I quickly pulled myself together – "She's doing her best to buy you some time, but you better move fast"  
"Got it. Thanks Al" – I was about to hang up when she spoke again.  
"And take the skeletons with you. Asgore declared them as traitors."

Hanging up I stepped outside, the loud bang of the door woke up Sans on the couch startling him.  
"Papyrus wake up!" – I yelled kicking his door before going downstairs.  
"What's wrong, sunshine?" – Sans asked seeing my worried face.  
"Alphys just called" – I said as grumpy Papyrus appeared on top of the stairs – "The Guards are coming after us right now, we gotta go"  
"REALLY? THEN WHY DON'T I KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT?"  
"Because you're considered a traitor for helping us, both of you. They're planning to capture you too"  
"We can fight them" – the brothers exclaimed at the same time.  
"Yeah, you probably can, but you shouldn't" – I said about to go upstairs again and before they could question it I added – "because, first of all, Undyne is with them and she's a friend, second: there are about thirty monsters who, most definitely, wouldn't want to bargain"  
"So?" – Sans shrugged.  
"Are you insane? You can't kill thirty guards. You'll turn the entire Underground against you for good" – the next part I said in a whisper that only I could hear – "I don't want to do that again"

"THEN WHAT DO YOU SUGGEST?"  
"They'll definitely check the house and entire Snowdin, so we need to leave, maybe hide and wait for everything to calm down"  
"YOU WANT THE TERRIFYING PAPYRUS TO HIDE IN FEAR?" – At that moment he looked furious, yet proud of himself more than ever.  
"It's not fear Papyrus, we're just being cautious, strength isn't the only thing a guard needs. We don't have a plan yet and in order to work on it we'll need peace and quiet. Making rushed choices right now isn't the best idea, one wrong move and it can end really badly for all of us"  
With their vast sea of comebacks drained I headed up to get ready, soon Sans did too. I woke Frisk and Flowey up and grabbing my weapons and my bag with some first necessity stuff I headed downstairs.  
Peeking through the window I saw the town, still and empty, embraced in darkness as any night. We still had some time before the guards' arrival, but we couldn't know how much exactly.  
As everyone joined me I got a message from Alphys and read it out loud.  
"The guards finally left the lab and I doubt they'll come back any time soon. You'll be able to stay here at least for a little bit. I'm sending Riverman to you now"  
Finishing I glanced at Sans, he nodded in approval. Now that we had a destination to head to and hopefully stay at, I felt a lot better.

Being the only patient and careful one I took on the task of leading the rest. Carefully opening the door slightly I closed my eyes listening, no noise or voices could be heard. Walking out my eyes fixed on the distant cave hidden behind a blizzard. I motioned everyone to stay quiet and move behind the house, which they did to the best of their abilities.  
Closing, but not locking the door of now empty house I followed my friends to the forest. We barely managed to hide ourselves deeper into the shadows when about a dozen of armed guards marched into the town. Familiar features of their head made Sans growl in anger.  
"How are ya calling her a "friend"? She came here to capture yer precious brother, most probably kill him"  
"There's a limit to how much she can defy the king" – I said in a quiet voice – "if she wasn't a friend she wouldn't bother to warn us"  
He didn't answer and simply held my hand close to him in an attempt to keep me safe. We quietly watched as four guards entered the house while other three investigated the area around. Luckily Flowey erased our footprints, like he did long ago for me, so no one was able to track us. I thought it was pretty obvious where we were hiding, but no one even bothered to check the woods.

After a short time the guards were back reporting back to Undyne. I couldn't hear what she told them despite her loud voice, but as she moved her hand six of the guards spread out taking positions or patrolling, while Undyne with the remaining guards left the town and directed to the Ruins.  
"There are probably guards in the Waterfall too, that's why less of them arrived here" – I whispered – "We'll have to be a lot more careful than I originally though"  
"Sis, why does the king want to catch us? We didn't do anything to him"  
"He doesn't like us and… he wants our Souls, something he knows we wouldn't give. That's why he's using force" – I said as my brother listened quietly – "do you remember what dad told us last time he came? He was in a similar situation, his enemy wasn't a kind one either"  
Frisk nodded squeezing my hand. He, more than anyone, didn't want to fight.  
We waited in the woods by the river bank for another twenty minutes or so and soon the friendly monster in his boat was in front of us.  
During the entire trip to Hotland Sans held me in a protective manner, his eyes traveling to all directions glaring at anyone or anything that might cross his gaze, though nothing appeared.  
The area in front of old Gerson's cave, which was the only place in Waterfall where the river could be seen, was empty. "Undyne probably made sure of that" I thought to myself.  
As we got closer to Hotland I texted Alphys confirming that it was ok to hide in her lab.

The scientist greeted us pretty nervously and led us to the elevator as soon as she lay her eyes on us.  
"So what's the deal with Asgore?" – I asked when we started moving – "why did he decide to attack so suddenly?"  
"That's the thing, nothing worth mentioning happened. He didn't even explain anything" – she said adjusting her glasses – "simply gave an order"  
"In the middle of the night?" – I raised my brow. Alphys nodded as if it was an everyday thing.  
I didn't ask anything anymore and got lost in thoughts instead, coming up with every possible explanation, but things weren't adding up. He knew about us being here for a long time now, he knew we weren't dead, since news about that would spread faster than a wildfire. Maybe he learned our whereabouts recently, that was the most logical explanation at the time. But it was odd to me that he didn't punish Undyne for helping us and even trusted her to lead the guards right to her friends. The situation we were in was too confusing for me, the information I had, which was almost none, wasn't enough to get my head around it.  
When I got aware of my surroundings once again I was in one of the corridors being led by Sans who made sure I didn't run into walls, doors or any other obstacles that might appear on our way.  
Regaining my senses I started walking next to him.

Alphys provided us with a large room with two beds, the largest one there was. It was similar to the one I was in when I first arrived to the Lab, though this one was a lot bigger, but still too small for four people, excluding Flowey who didn't take too much space.  
Two beds standing in the middle were barely large enough for two people each. Two dark brown wooden nightstands with lamps on them stood between the beds. The wooden floor and bookshelves by the white wall were of matching color. It somehow looked like a log house in the middle of woods, the whole room was filled with cozy and warm atmosphere.  
Though the darkness of the night would remain for a couple of more hours before the light would have a chance to shine, none of us could sleep, we weren't in the mood for chatting either.  
Thankfully Frisk and Flowey quickly got occupied with drawing, since I wouldn't want to worry those two, Papyrus went out into the hallway to train and Sans found a book to read.

Plugging the headphones I got not too long ago from Alphys I put on my favorite music getting lost in it.  
"How did he get in?" – The thought reappeared at some point as the memories of Gaster's encounter made their way into my mind – "Could there be a gap?"  
I didn't really know the nature of my barrier and how it worked, since I never had a chance or a method to learn and understand it. Somehow Gaster knew a lot more about it than I did, though it didn't surprise me one bit.  
A smirk appeared on my lips when a solution popped in my mind. Gaster took a lot of time to enter which means he couldn't find the entrance easily, so if there really was a gap than I just needed to hide it. That would be quite easy too, since I could freely move and alter the barrier, as well as shuffle the hexagon any time I wanted with little to no effort.  
Somehow the fear and uneasiness I felt after the attack vanished without a trace and I felt determined more than anything, determined to face him.  
I knew it was a stupid idea that would probably get me killed, but I couldn't shake off the feeling of triumph. But it soon faded as I remembered our current problem, yet another problem I had no idea how to deal with.

Letting out an exhausted sigh I glanced at Sans, he was absorbed in the thick science book in his hands.  
Taking out one of the earbuds I moved away his arm slightly and placed my head on his chest listening to the quiet sound coming from his Soul, a calm whistle like a far-away breeze. Just like that I was safe, protected, I felt as if nothing could go wrong. He always could calm me down no matter what happened by simply being there or saying something as simple as "it's ok". I always assumed that our Souls being close together was the reason, but I couldn't know for sure.

"Napstablook would love this" – I thought to myself as a song similar to his started playing.  
A wide smile covered my face, that I didn't notice at first, at the thought of the friendly ghost. I didn't visit him in a while, so I noted to myself to do so soon, Frisk would love that too.  
"What's up, sunshine?" – Asked Sans at my sudden change in mood.  
"I just remembered someone who really likes music" – I said taking the headphones off so I could hear him better – "he's one of the first monsters I met back in the Ruins"  
"Is that so?" – The warm smile on Sans' face faded as disapproval took its place – "ya know him well?"  
"Can't say I do, I met him a couple of times… He's a ghost"  
He didn't answer, just kept staring into the book I knew he wasn't reading. I watched him for a bit, confused. He didn't speak anymore, didn't move, his expression was as grumpy as ever, the only thing that changed was his grip tightening on my back. Was he jealous? He was, wasn't he…  
"Don't be dumb" – I whispered shoving my face back into the soft fabric of his sweater.  
As Papyrus came back turning off the lights seconds later Sans turned to his side hugging me a bit tighter than usual. I didn't protest, though it wasn't very comfortable.

I didn't know how much time passed, but it seemed like an eternity before Alphys came in saying it was morning.  
"Sans, let go. I'm hungry" – I said when he didn't move for about five minutes – "… I love you…"  
Success! Freedom!  
Finally free from now happy skeleton I picked up yet another happy creature by the name of Frisk and marched out of the room fallowing my friend.  
We've never been in the room we soon found ourselves in, the kitchen to be exact. Everything there was in shades of teal and silver, the floor was quite dark teal, the walls: a bit lighter with the ceiling and the lights being almost white.  
Half-empty wooden cabinets were standing by the wall with an old fridge on one side and stove on the other. The old wooden table in the middle was large enough for six people.  
I helped Alphys with the tea, while Frisk got the donuts and other pastries and put it by the corner of the table.

The mood lightened up as we started chatting and joking about the most random things that crossed our minds. I couldn't say I missed that, since that kind of thing was a normal procedure for us at home, but it sure did feel different, a lot better as if it was a necessity.  
I was finishing my fourth spider donut when a loud bang from the corridor caught our attention distracting us from our previous activities. Everyone looked confused, Flowey was plain terrified. With the second bang I started to question if it was a guard like we originally thought or something we didn't know existed. Me and Sans were already in the doorway when the third bang echoed in the empty hallway followed by cracking and falling of small rocks as well as lights flickering.

Once in the hallway we faced the direction where the sound was coming from, Sans stood in front of me shielding me from whatever was coming our way, my fingertips were touching the handle of the army knife ever so slightly ready to grab it if danger ever came.  
Alphys was still in the doorway, peeking from the corner obviously trying to avoid whatever was going on. She and Papyrus were doing their best to not let Frisk or Flowey to get through.

It didn't take long before our vision was blocked by a cloud of dust as the wall not too far from us collapsed. Sans didn't seem to care, but I had no other choice but to cover my nose and mouth to not breath the dust in.  
Shortly after that a weird beeping sound could be heard in front of us presumably from the middle of the cloud.  
"R2's here! Cool"  
"What?" – Sans asked turning his head slightly.  
"Star Wars… Nevermind, I'll explain later"  
"Welcome beauties and gentlebeauties" – a robotic voice pierced the air – "to today's Quiz Show! Everyone give a big hand for our wonderful contestants!"  
With that I heard a clapping of, what it sounded like, two people, a bright light shone on me and Sans and colorful pieces of paper fell around us practically melting upon touching the floor or any other surface. I tried to look up to find the source of it all, but the light was too bright for me to see anything.  
By the time I was able to see again after the outburst of my stupidity and looked forward the air already began to clear up and I could see the owner of the voice. I instantly recognized the robot from Alphys' poster. She told me a little about it being a TV star or something, but since Alphys was the one who built it I never expected it to be sentient.

The robot was basically a rectangular box with dozens of small lights making a screen of a sort where the face should've been and a bunch of buttons under it. Red and yellow lights on his "face" formed a big M. He was standing on one tube thingy with a wheel at the end of it allowing him to move freely. His four hands were moving around like metallic noodles, one of which was holding a microphone.  
His appearance overall was one of those I couldn't take seriously, not yet at least.  
"Never played before, gorgeous?" – He continued as Sans growled at his nickname for me – "no problem, it's simple! There's only one rule. Answer correctly" – his voice suddenly changed to a deeper and evil one – "or you DIE!"  
"Well that's reassuring, thanks" – I said, sarcasm dripping from every word, yet the robot didn't notice or simply didn't care.  
Somehow I was expecting what came next. Everything turned black as I entered a fight for the first time in forever.  
Sans was still in front of me and Alphys, who got involved in the fight too, was standing on the opposite side next to the robot. Sans stepped back getting closer to me in an attempt to protect me more than he already was, probably from the scientist who, in his eyes, betrayed me, though I knew that was not the case.  
The glyphs above their heads wrote "Alphys" and "Mettaton" before disappearing into the darkness.  
"So that's what his name is" – I whispered loud enough for only me to hear.

"Let's start with an easy one" – he said and a black panel outlined with gold appeared in front of me, it consisted of five empty sections.  
*What's the price for answering correctly?* A question appeared in the top section, four answers filled the remaining ones, with a timer counting down in the middle.  
"This is an actual quiz show?" – I asked out loud still not believing it entirely – "Well… pretty sure this is the correct one"  
I didn't feel anything, but as my hand reached for the answer it lit up green and a weird music played in the background marking that I was right.  
"How didja know?" – Sans asked standing next to me in a way that he could see the panel and the questions too.  
"The other three were unlikely considering what we're dealing with, so I went with "more questions". It was logical for a quiz show too"  
Next couple of questions were easy enough for me to not think too hard, or at all to be exact, until a ridiculous one came up. It was some kind of a math problem, I barely had enough time to read it all, so solving it was out of question. In my minute of panic a skeletal hand appeared in front of me as Sans hit an answer right before the timer reached 0.  
"Currect! What a terrible answer!" – yelled Mettaton waving and clapping with his three free hands.  
"Did you really solve that?"  
"Yap" – Sans smiled looking proud of himself.  
"… ok than… good job"

Looking back at the panel I sighed bracing myself for what was coming next. Soon I realized that my intuition was right, each question was getting more and more ridiculous, luckily Alphys gave us the right answers using hand gestures. Seeing that Sans got less suspicious of her.  
"Let's play a memory game" – said Mettaton as half of Froggit's face appeared before me.  
"Oh, that's easy" – I said hitting the answer without giving it a second thought.  
A buzz sound played as a wave of electricity ran through me forcing me to retreat my hand. Holding it close to my chest I watched my health go down than stop at halfway point.  
"The hell ya doing" – Sans' roar rang through the air. He held me protectively hugging me from the side with both his hands, sheltering my body with his own. His left eye flashed crimson as he prepared for an attack.  
"Stop" – I tried to calm him down – "this is not the time for that" - Reluctantly he withdrew his attacks, but didn't let me go entirely.  
Looking down at the panel I saw the previous picture changed revealing Mettaton wearing a shirt with Froggit's face printed on it. I facepalmed, I should've realized something was off. It wasn't really surprising though, I kind of expected something like that to happen sooner or later.  
*Would you smooch a ghost?* was the next question with four *Heck Yeah!*s as answers, the timer on this one was going up instead of counting down. I got judgmental looks from both Alphys and Sans, though I couldn't do much at that point.  
After hesitating for a while I finally gave up, I just waved my hand in front of me without looking where it will end up.  
"Great answer! I love it!" – Yelled the robot. Somehow I could tell he was laughing at me internally.

After answering another couple of stupid questions by following Alphys' instructions Mettaton seemed defeated. I sighed in relief assuming it was over, Sans did too finally letting me go.  
"How about a question you'll be sure to know the answer to?"  
That made me tense up a bit, though I tried not to show it the best I could.  
"Who does Dr. Alphys have a…" – Mettaton stopped when the scientist gave him a death glare.  
"Well well well. With Dr. Alphys helping you, the show has no dramatic tension!" – he continued as if nothing happened – "We can't go on like this! But! This was just the plot episode! Next up" – his voice shifted again – "More Drama! More Romance! More Bloodshed!" – Then it went back to normal once again – "until next time, Darlings!"  
With that he waved us a goodbye and the darkness faded. He then disappeared entering the hole he came out of not too long ago. I followed him, but the robot was nowhere to be found.  
"You guys were on TV just now" – said Alphys catching my now worried attention – "The guards will find you in no time. You have to hurry"

And just like that we had to leave again. Right when we thought the danger could be avoided or at least delayed for some time our safety got shattered right before our eyes in mere moments.

But regardless of all that I wasn't scared, after such a long break I felt like I was ready for a new adventure.  
I was looking forward to it eagerly waiting for it to start.


	15. Hotland

It didn't take long for us to prepare and shortly after we were standing by the exit by the opposite side of the one we usually used.  
"Are you sure you'll be alright?" – I asked still hesitant to leave Alphys alone – "Asgore wouldn't forgive you that easily"  
"I'll be fine. This is not the first time I'm dealing with him, you know?" – She tapped my shoulder giving me a reassuring smile.  
"Ok… But if something happens, anything at all, give me a call"  
Alphys nodded stepping back to give us enough room. Walking to the monitor she checked the cameras to make sure no guards were yet around, seeing none she motioned us to leave.  
I once again took on the role of a leader though I had no idea where to go, surprisingly no one really minded. It was understandable with Sans, since his laziness had no bounds, but Papyrus was oddly calm and accepting about everything, a bit too calm to be honest. I decided to not confront him about it yet and just watch his actions and words instead.

The path before us was narrow and long with nothing but dark pit on both sides. In the distance red dim lights would occasionally go on and off like a heartbeat. The structure underneath it wasn't visible as if the darkness itself was lighting up filling the air around with blood red.  
The rocks beneath our path were mainly cracked, some of them letting out streams of lava. I knew what kind of place we were supposed to go through, so I left the purple jacket back at the Lab, but it still wasn't enough to keep the heat surrounding us away. Taking off my sweater I was left with only a dark grey tank top Undyne gave me.  
"That's much better" – I mumbled tying it around my waist - "I can't take too much heat, I'm not a skeleton" – I added as Sans tried to object. He stayed silent, but stayed close to me and would glare at his brother ever so often.

It didn't take long for us to reach a branching bath with two conveyer belts of a sort moving in the opposite directions, built next to each other they were separated by the pitch black pit, it made me wonder what it was used for. A part of the sand path was replaced by it, thick pipes on either sides of the belt were connecting it to something far beneath.  
There was no way around it, so the only thing we could do was to ride it. I didn't have to tell that to Frisk twice, at all actually. It didn't take a second before the kid was sprinting towards it.  
"Careful" – I said under my breath as he jumped on the belt falling on his butt.  
The rest of us were more careful about it. As we slowly slid forward I kept watching the blue flames rising from pipes that stood in the middle of nothing. Somehow it reminded me of the Waterfall, now more than ever, I wanted to be there.  
Getting to the other side didn't take long, but ahead of us was yet another belt, this one was a bit longer and crooked.  
"What are these used for anyway?" – I asked trying to keep my balance as the directions shifted several times.  
"No idea" – Sans shrugged – "this whole place was built along with the core, so… for that?"  
I shrugged too – "probably" – then lowered my voice whispering into his ear, that he didn't have – "also, what's wrong with Papyrus? He's quiet, too quiet"  
In response he squished my hand a bit too hard – "it doesn't matter what's wrong with him" – he hissed – "why do ya care?"  
I raised my brow following his every expression, I knew he didn't like his brother, but he never reacted like that before, not around me at least.  
"It's just a bit odd, out of ordinary I'd say and please don't crush my hand, I still need it"  
His grip on my hand softened as he gave it a gentle kiss thinking he hurt me, though there was absolutely no reason to worry.

As I shifted my gaze forward a desire to throw myself into the lava below rose. Several small islands of rock and sand were scattered in a red fiery lake. The gaps they were separated with were too large to jump over. The only explanation I had for the strange area was that it was not supposed to be crossed by foot or someone intentionally removed whatever was connecting those islands.  
"Cool. Now what?" – I crossed my arms staring at the path leading out.  
My question was answered when a loud sound of, what it seems like, a strong stream of hot air filled the empty space followed by a giggle that was, for some reason, getting further away by second. Frisk was now smiling at us from an island further to the right.  
"Did you just…" – I yelled in a panicky voice as I realized what had happened – "are you ok?"  
Frisk nodded giving me a thumbs up and a huge smile. He then turned around to continue his way by soaring majestically in steam.  
Tensing up with each passing second I watched him move around, until he was by the pathway right in front of me.

"It was ok, see?" – He said spreading his arms to show that there were no injuries.  
"The air wasn't that hot either" – added Flowey trying to calm down my angry self.  
I let out a frustrated sigh. I wanted to tell them to never do that again, but the situation, or rather the place we were in might not grant us safe routes. No matter what I thought was right to do, no matter how much I hated all that, I had no other choice but to allow them risk their wellbeing for some time. In the end I couldn't scold them, but couldn't praise them either.  
"So how would we…" – I turned to the skeletons, but didn't finish the question as Sans' magic lifted me, gently carrying me across the pit to the safety next to my brother. I looked up at him smiling at the fact that I completely forgot about that magic – "thanks!"  
My heart sank as the skeletons before me disappeared, after a split second Sans' deep voice spoke from behind.  
"You're welcome, sunshine" – he said. Then putting his palm on my stomach pulled me back from the edge I unconsciously stepped dangerously close to – "sorry I scared ya"  
Not knowing what to say I stayed silent, a quiet sigh of relief escaped my lips as I leaned on the body behind me as if making sure he was really there.  
"You guys really wanna give me a heart attack, don't you?" – I said taking Frisk's stretched out hand – "let's go, we don't have much time to waste"

"HOLD ON, SANS" – Papyrus yelled lauder than usual when we took several steps, stopping us – "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT? WHY DIDN''T I KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THAT TELEPORTATION MAGIC? DO YOU REALIZE HOW MUCH I COULD'VE DONE WITH IT?"  
"I didn't wanna tell ya. I don't like being used, ya know? And that's exactly what ya're doing" – Sans sounded as calm as ever, he probably prepared himself for that when he decided to teleport.  
What really surprised me was that Papyrus didn't know anything about that. Sans never told him and he never once saw it, yet I knew how much he actually used the ability. Sometimes it was hard to believe that they were brothers and lived together.  
"I DON'T CARE! FROM NOW ON REPORT ME EVERYTHING" – he said passing be, then stopped – "ACTUALLY, TELL ME RIGHT NOW, WHAT ELSE IS THERE I DON'T KNOW ABOUT?"  
"Nothing" – Sans shrugged looking down with his void eye sockets half closed – "I ain't telling ya anything"  
Dead silence hung above us letting me hear my own heartbeat. Minutes that passed felt like hours while we stood in place motionless. For a moment my eyes met with Sans' and I lost the track of time entirely. I don't know how long we stayed like that, but when I came to, the fear of our enemies reaching us took over.  
"We really should go" – I said breaking the silence.

"BY THE WAY, WHAT IS A HEART ATTACK?" – asked Papyrus after a little while.  
He looked genuinely curious, but I couldn't possibly tell him the true meaning of it, not when I mentioned it so casually. Not answering wasn't an option either, since it would seem too suspicious.  
"It's just something that can happen to a human's heart. It's a condition, don't mind it"  
Frisk was a bit confused at first, but quickly caught on why I said that and played along. Sans didn't say anything, only his expression changed a bit turning slightly grumpy and sad, I figured he knew what it was all about – "It's just an expression" – I whispered in a way that only he could hear  
"It's a stupid one"  
"I know"

Soon a new obstacle stood before us, several of them to be exact. Walls of blue and orange lasers were blocking our way. Some moved constantly, while others were static. I immediately remembered Alphys telling me how those worked, apparently I had to move through the orange lasers and stay completely still for the blue ones.  
It seemed easy enough to do in theory – "eh. It's worth a shot" – I shrugged walking through the first one.  
Just like I thought going through wasn't hard, but still nerve-racking, my heartbeat picked up speed immensely as I dashed or stood still like a statue while some lasers changed color. Once on the other side after what it seemed to be forever, I for the first time felt my legs growing weak even if only slightly.  
On the ground to my right I saw a shadow.  
"Hey, Frisk" – I smiled giving the small hand in front of me a high five.  
When we found ourselves in the Underground it became obvious that he was better at these kind of things than I'll ever be, a lot better. So with the passage of time I started worrying less about certain things.  
Flowey sitting on Frisk's shoulder laughed under his breath seeing that our other two companions were far behind. Papyrus was actually trying to get through, but for some reason he was too impatient and clumsy and got stuck midway between two moving lasers not sure what to do next. Sans didn't even try to move, he just stood there laughing loudly at his brother.  
"Should we help them?" – I asked too amused to look away.  
"They'll be fine" – Flowey shook his head. Both me and Frisk nodded in agreement and kept on watching.  
In about a minute or two Papyrus was finally in front of us. He was visibly angry, but didn't complain since he was the one who always refused our help back home. He only mumbled angrily under his breath while we held back our laughter.

I was about to head over to Sans when he moved forward and simply walked through the whole thing as if taking a stroll, only stopping for a brief moment a couple of times on the way. For a moment I doubted the lasers were even dangerous.  
"That was impressive" – I said when he stood by me chuckling at my comment.  
"Ya can turn these off here" – he pointed at a switch I didn't notice before – "but let's keep it on for now"

A huge metallic gate came into view once we walked around the corner. At that moment I wondered what was blocking our sight, it seemed like there was nothing there, yet we couldn't see anything through, I decided to ask Sans later. My gaze once again fixed on the gate that was slightly closer now, two round crests of a sort on either sides of the dim grey gates were glowing red.  
In the center of the large space we soon found ourselves in were four steam releasing platforms just like the ones we saw not too long ago.  
I didn't know if the ones in front of me were different or I simply didn't notice it the first time, but these platforms had white arrows on them with the middle one changing constantly pointing in all four directions.  
"THE GATE WILL OPEN WHEN YOU SOLVE THE PUZZLES ON BOTH SIDES" – said Papyrus pointing at tall tower-like structures in the distance – "THE PUZZLES HERE MIGHT BE HARD AND UNFORGIVING, BUT WORRY NOT I, THE TERRYFYING PAPYRUS…"  
"Frisk you go to the right, I'll take the left side" – I said ignoring the skeleton frozen in proud pose – "we'll be right back, don't worry"  
I looked back one more time to make sure no one was following us and leaped over the gap. I was half expecting Sans to come along, though didn't mind him staying behind.  
Right before the tower a blue and orange flickering laser stopped me from continuing the path. The color changed way too fast for me to go through. On the other side there were monsters, so I couldn't use my barrier either, not for something like that. While I was planning to trick the laser some other way it turned off as a bone sliced through the metal shell emitting the deadly light.  
"Thanks!" – I yelled looking back and my eyes met with Sans'. A faint blush covered my cheeks when I realized how much he looked after me even at times like these. I knew it all too well, but small things like these made me remember it more than anything.

The monsters I front of the tower entrance were two schoolgirls. One of them was made of green fire and the other was a weird purple monster that looked like an alien.  
"Why the hell did you turn it off?" – Yelled the purple girl in somewhat deep voice trying to sound threatening – "now we can't skip school"  
The green flame joined her as they got closer, both of them taller and buffer than me. Somehow it was cute how they were trying to gang up on me, though I wasn't amused.  
"Do I look like I care?" – I shrugged. The purple girl cracked her fingers getting ready to throw a punch – "oh boy. Listen, beating up schoolgirls isn't my style, so let's skip that stage and move to the next one" – I said in a calm voice and it seemed to have worked, at least they weren't trying to attack me anymore – "Let's say you beat me, what's next?"  
"Continue standing here, I guess" – said the green flame after thinking for a bit.  
"Go on then, stand all you want, I'm not stopping you" – seeing that their brains were in need of a restart at that moment I walked between them and into the tower – "bye now"  
The dark space was a lot smaller than I originally thought, even smaller than Sans' room. Both walls and the floor were pitch black. The note in the far end was the only way for me to see the wall it was attached to "Shoot the opposing ship! Move the boxes to complete your mission" was written on it.  
Reading it I turned to the little screen on a high platform of some kind, the puzzle was displayed on it. Several white boxes were scattered on a black square, similar to the ones on the platform in front of me.  
I tapped the screen softly and it lit up revealing two arrow heads on top and bottom. I assumed those were the ships mentioned in the note and from the looks of it I had two shots in it.  
Swiping my finger in any of four directions made some of the boxes move, not only on the screen but on the platform too.  
Though the puzzle seemed a little complicated at first I was able to solve it pretty quickly. Once done I walked out waving a goodbye to the girls that were standing by the wall like they told me.  
A loud sound of a huge metallic mechanism sounded shaking the air around it and spreading beyond, indicating that the gate opened. Everyone was waiting for me right by the entrance, jumping across the gaps once again I swiftly made my way to them.

The next area wouldn't be any different from the previous ones if not for the ominous red light pulsating from below, the source of which wasn't visible as if it never existed in the first place.  
Several steam platforms were lined up in front of us, luckily these ones were connected by steel pipes creating a bridge for us to walk across.  
The pitch black darkness we found ourselves in made me feel protective. I soon felt my breath slowing down until it was no longer heard, my senses sharpened allowing me to hear and feel every movement around me. The light from my pendant helped me stay calm, but it wasn't enough to see anything decently.  
I flinched grabbing my knife when a music started playing from above and a light filled the room blinding me. Opening my eyes in a few seconds I looked around, but didn't exactly like what I saw. I was in the middle of a kitchen, light blue tiles covering both walls and the floor, a large window on the wall was covering a painting of a landscape from the surface. And in the middle of it all was…  
"Ohhh yes!" – The all too familiar voice echoed through the empty space – "Welcome to the Underground's Premier cooking show! We've got a very special recipe for you today! We're going to be making… a cake!" – Literally from nowhere applause of about a dozen of people reached us. Mettaton who was focused on the camera not too far from him pointed at Frisk and continued - "my lovely assistant here will gather all the ingredients, we'll need sugar, milk and eggs. Go for it, sweetheart!"  
Frisk actually went ahead not only gathering the ingredients Mettaton asked for, but also the ones he never mentioned, but were necessary for a cake. He also started poking around pretty much everything in his sight.

"We don't have time to put up with his crap" – Sans grumbled, his eye glowing bright.  
"I'll have to agree with you" – I sighed – "we have to think of something…"  
"Don't worry, sunshine, I'll take care of 'im"  
He stepped forward, his hand covered in crimson flames when I grabbed it stopping him. I noticed Papyrus taking a step back staring at his brother in a weird way. Did he really not know anything about his own brother's magic? Not only that, but he didn't even know how to react or what Sans might do and was keeping his distance. I didn't really know how to react to that, didn't have time for that either, so decided to ask him about that too.  
"Wait I have an idea" – I said looking back at Sans – "if it works we might be able to slow the guards down"  
"And if it doesn't?"  
"We'll go with your plan" – I sighed in defeat after a short hesitation.  
"And ya won't get in my way" – a wide menacing smile covered his skull sending shivers down my spine. I let go of his hand praying that it works at least to some degree, but if it didn't I of course would do something, anything to stop him. The thought of him killing another creature, a sentient one at that, wasn't something I could easily accept.

I felt my Soul shield itself holding back the tears that were about to show, I was determined to succeed, at least for Sans' sake.  
"I'm sorry Mettaton, we won't be able to participate" – I said trying to sound sincere.  
"Why is that?"  
"You see, the guards are after us and I doubt they'll wait for us to bake a cake, so there's no way for us to stay" – I said awaiting for his response, when it never came I went on – "unless…"  
A question mark appeared on the robot's face, I was at least able to catch his interest, but it was too soon to celebrate.  
"Unless you can somehow keep them away…"

"I know what you're trying to do" – said Mettaton in his deep and creepy voice – "don't think you can fool me"  
"Regardless of my motives what I said is a fact. We either leave right now or you block the guards out and I bake you a cake, the choice is yours" – Although I wasn't the one who came up with the content of the show I felt so dumb saying that sentence, taken out of context it could really seem quite stupid.  
Mettaton went silent, he knew I was right and though it was obvious that I was trying to use him, he couldn't really argue. By the looks of it he heard my conversation with Sans and was trying to stay as far away from him as possible. Considering that too I knew the answer he'd give, but waited patiently for him to actually say it.  
Taking out a remote from… somewhere he pressed the big red button every normal person would typically avoid. A chain of blue, orange and white lasers turned on from the entrance of the kitchen all the way to the gate. Seconds later a metal door raised from the ground shutting us completely.  
I looked at Sans to see his reaction, but what I met was his back, several sweat drops were forming on his skull, letting out a quite laugh I turned to the workplace. By that time Frisk got everything needed.  
"Perfect! Great job, beautiful!" – Mettaton yelled in his monotone voice as if nothing happened – "we've got all of the ingredients needed to bake a cake!" – After a short pause his creepy voice came out – "Oh my! We're missing the most important ingredient! A Human Soul!"  
His screen turned red as he grabbed three knives with his free hands. Without really thinking I glanced at Sans for a moment, he was now looking at me with a mocking smile, probably waiting for me to ask for help.  
"Don't be stupid, Mettaton. You didn't know half of these ingredients were needed and you pretend you can cook?" – I obviously hit the nerve. He suddenly stopped lowering his hands as his screen turned pale.  
"Let's start, shall we… Papyrus" – I smiled at the tall skeleton that appeared faster than a lightning.

We prepared everything pretty fast and soon the cake was in the oven and we didn't even let the host participate; though I realized it a bit too late, Sans took a nap standing up. Once done with everything for good Mettaton announced a commercial.  
His menacing voice came out again and he turned to me standing motionless as he spoke.  
"You made fun of me on my OWN show! You'll pay for it, gorgeous"  
"You were about to brake our agreement. What did you expect, a pat on the back?" – I hissed – "I don't wanna harm you, that's true, but you should've known better than anyone that there are other ways to deal with you"  
I took a step back as Papyrus got between us startling me. From the looks of it he was angry and too eager to end it all.  
"OUR WORK IS DONE HERE, RIGHT HUMAN?" – He asked looking at me, I nodded – "LET'S GO THEN"  
He stepped forward and the rest of us followed without asking any questions.  
"I don't like him, sis" – whispered Frisk taking my hand – "is he bad?"  
"I don't know yet, but I don't like him either. All I can say is that he doesn't seem reliable, I can never say what he can or will do, so be careful around him"  
"We should hurry" – said Flowey who was watching the robot the whole time – "I think he wants to open the gate"  
We were almost by the elevator when he deactivated everything. The metal door dropped opening the familiar path along with a horde of armored guards dashing through the sand too eager to complete their king's order.  
Quickly scanning through their lines I notices that Undyne wasn't there, which meant that there was no one to stop them or help us in any way.

At that moment my mind went blank, I hid Frisk behind my back with one hand and held the other one in front of me acting on instinct more than anything. When I regained my senses my Soul was out, a strong barrier was spreading through the kitchen pushing the guards back. It was breaking everything on its way, everything but monsters. Seeing that I didn't stop strengthening the barrier as it left the room in shambles and only fixed it in place when the guards and Mettaton were right by the edge, about to fall.  
I heard Sans' voice telling me to get into the elevator and hurried there. The moment I stepped in, Papyrus slammed the button and the doors closed behind me granting us temporary safety.  
"I still can keep it up, but plan B wouldn't hurt" – I said nervously waiting for everyone's reaction.  
The first to speak was Flowey, despite his childish voice and friendly tone his words hurt, although I knew he didn't mean it.  
"You have quite a strong barrier" – he said avoiding my eyes – "could you keep it away from me… p-please?"  
He seemed scared of me, of what I could do and I hated it, I hated him for feeling that way. I didn't want to think that way especially about him of all people and tried to push away that feeling, but it proved to be harder than I thought.  
"I can't promise you that, Flowey. We're not in a position where I can just throw away my only mean of defending myself, you'll have to deal with it"  
"Sorry…" – he mumbled making guilt build up in me.

As expected Frisk was blown away and wouldn't stop asking me questions and expressing his amazement.  
Papyrus on the other hand was again silent as if nothing really happened, as if he knew all along. I expected him to freak out, to yell or try to fight me, pretty much anything except for complete indifference.  
Maybe he was just trying to be nice and understanding, maybe he was actually ok with it. I was trying to think positively, but something deep down doubted every single of those thoughts and my trust started slowly fading away.  
Sans too kept away, probably mad at me for not listening to him. Letting out an exhausted sigh I sat down hugging Frisk tightly. As he hugged back with his tiny hands I felt much better, just like before and always he once again chased my worries away.

At that moment it seemed like in this world he was the only one left for me and it felt right.


	16. The Calm and The Storm

Tired from our seemingly endless chase we agreed on taking a short break in one of Sans' sentry stations that was not too far from the elevator I grew to hate.  
Just like with every other station this one too had snow on its roof that I learned to not question, as well as some food and mustard stored in it, so we also grabbed a snack. With Frisk and Flowey being quiet the atmosphere tensed up around us making the time pass painfully slow.  
"It's still up and I intend to keep it that way for at least another hour, so if there's no way around we're safe" – I said when Papyrus asked about the Barrier's stability.  
"There is" – said Sans gulping mustard – "but it will take 'em a while" – his deep voice was calm and warm making me feel safer.  
Closing my eyes I leaned against a thin wooden wall thinking about everything and nothing, simply letting my mind drift away from all my problems.

A hum escaped my lips which then turned into a quiet song that I seemed to have forgotten long ago. It took me a while to realize that and the song faded once I did.  
"You have a nice voice" – said Papyrus in a surprisingly calm and gentle manner.  
My lips curved a little smile as I muttered a "thank you" before opening my eyes to meet his – "that's the only thing I inherited from mom"  
We didn't talk much besides that. As we sat there for a bit longer I noticed Sans staring at me, watching my Soul constantly. It made me wonder if something was wrong.  
When we stepped out to continue our way I asked him about it and for some reason he looked a bit surprised.  
"Not really" – he said taking my hand – "I was just curious, it changed so much when you sang, almost with every word"  
I never thought about that before, but for me it made perfect sense, music always made all kinds of emotions come forth. Even the ones I rarely felt in my everyday life were present during certain songs and melodies. I always said that music was a huge part of me and now I knew that it was true for my Soul too.

A big part of the path had nothing around it, except for red glowing lights on one side. The path not far from us branched from the main one only to lead to a small rectangular island seemingly hanging in the air. Shortly after we passed it Alphys texted me.  
"I saw your barrier in the show, it was so cool! Can I take a look at it once this is over?"  
Her excitement could literally be felt from the text and through the screen. It made a stupid grin appear on my face as I read and reread it. I really needed and wanted to hear someone say that, I wanted to know that someone appreciates the part of me that everyone seemed to hate.  
Staring at the screen for a couple of seconds I typed "definitely" and hit send.

Strengthening my hold on Sans' hand I let him lead me through Hotland and looked up into the darkness myself. The pitch black shadow looming above didn't let me see anything at all, it seemed like I was staring at a cloudy night sky.  
Blocking off most of my senses I concentrated my whole being at the thick barrier I left behind. As expected it was exactly where it was supposed to be. There were no cracks or scratches on it, not a single soul was close to it. That made a thought cross my mind: what if they left and the place was completely empty. If that was the case I could break the barrier and regain the energy I was using to keep it up.  
I decided to check and somehow I knew what I could do. Imagining the barrier the way I last saw it I tried to create a similar one next to it, but couldn't, apparently that was impossible to do from afar.  
With that plan failing, I tried something different: breaking off a small part of the main barrier I made it extend until it was large enough to cover the guards that may or may not be present. In the end in turned out quite weak and could easily break, but I didn't mind, the only thing I needed it for was to check the area for monsters. Stopping for a moment I concentrated only on the new barrier and moved it, which turned out to be much harder to do than I originally thought. Quickly traveling through the space it soon left behind the path, some pipes that appeared along the way until there was nothing around it except for darkness, then it slowly disappeared.  
"They're not there" – I said returning my mind to the reality – "I don't think we'll need the barrier anymore, I'll just leave a weak one in case someone returns"  
Sans who was the only one listening nodded then said loud enough for the others in front of us to hear – "we'll need to hurry if we want to get ahead of 'em"

Once everyone agreed with us, which happened instantly, we quickened our pace.  
While we rode on a short conveyer belt, Frisk randomly flipped several switches on the way. According to Papyrus those turned off the laser up ahead, so Frisk basically solved a puzzle without realizing it, which was more than welcomed for us.  
Another steam puzzle was before us once we got past the disabled laser. This one slightly differed from the previous ones. In the center of each little island was a large square button. Once pressed it would close up some of the steam platforms and open different ones.  
The puzzle itself didn't seem too hard, the only problem with this was that neither I nor Papyrus were able to jump over the gaps or bypass the puzzle any other way. According to him the steam was usually a lot stronger, so that it won't be a problem for the guards.  
Luckily Sans was light enough to get across even now, probably thanks to the lack of actual mass. Now, for the first time I was actually happy that he was a skeleton, but of course didn't tell him anything. Though with some troubles he soon found himself on the other side. His magic then carried me across, further away from potential threat. At first he was tempted to leave his brother behind, but changed his mind after my lecture, though reluctantly.  
"Shut up. I helped ya, didn't I?" – hissed Sans when Papyrus yelled at him.  
"Such loving siblings you are" – I said not able to resist the temptation of sarcasm that only Frisk appreciated.

For a moment I stopped as everyone else moved forward when I saw something familiar from long ago. In the base of a small cliff there was a mouse hole, right next to it was a small stool with a safe on it. Glowing digits on its side marked the necessity of a code.  
After looking around for a bit I couldn't find any hints pointing at the right combination, but assumed it contained cheese, since that was the case in last three mouse areas.  
Giving up on opening the thing I crouched by the hole and peeked inside. I couldn't see anything in particular inside, but I did notice some kind of movement. Taking out a potato chip I got from Sans' station I put it not too far for the mouse to get it. To not scare it any further I slowly stepped back and followed my friends.  
They were by the edge of the path waiting for me to catch up. Frisk and Flowey stood further back seemingly hesitant to get closer to the skeletons.

Approaching my brother quietly I crouched to be on his level.  
"Is something wrong?" – I whispered getting his attention – "you guys look so serious"  
"They were arguing just now, but we don't know why" – nodded Frisk.  
"It mainly contained of Papyrus getting angry and Smiley Trashbag making fun of him" – added Flowey.  
"So?" – I raised an eyebrow – "it happens almost every day"  
"It felt different this time" – Flowey shook his head – "somehow Smiley Trashbag was scarier than usual. It looked like he could actually kill someone"  
"I think they were talking about you, sis"  
I got a bit worried, could it be because of my barrier? Papyrus didn't like this whole situation to begin with, not that any of us did, but he reacted differently from the beginning and now he encountered something he hated in a friend. I really hoped I was wrong, that whatever they didn't agree on could be solved easily, but deep down doubted those thoughts. But despite all that I was somewhat grateful to the Royal Guardsman, after all he tried to be nice to me after seeing _that_ , unlike any other monster except for Flowey. Even with Sans it would've ended pretty bad for me did he not love me that much.

Stretching my back I walked up to them. I figured it would be a good chance to confront Papyrus about his odd behavior while asking what was up. I could've been overthinking and, God knew, I hoped I was, but unless I cleared that out myself I wouldn't feel at ease any time soon.  
"What's up, gentlemen?" – I asked playfully, my eyes fixed on the tall figure in front of me.  
"Don't worry, sunshine" – Sans spoke after a short silence – "I got this under control"  
"What exactly?" – I asked without looking away and waited for Papyrus' respond with each passing second getting angrier.  
For some time he looked away tapping his foot nervously. I wanted him to say something, anything, it could've been the worst explanation ever and I wouldn't mind. All I wanted at the time was to make sure I could trust him, yet he walked away not even giving me a glance.  
"You're really not gonna tell me anything?" – I asked looking from Papyrus to Sans and back, my voice getting louder and more demanding without me realizing it - "Come on. Now more than ever we need to talk our differences through. If you don't like something about me say it to my face!"  
A growl emerged from my chest escaping through my mouth leaving even me surprised. I searched, but couldn't find the reason why I reacted that way. I was getting angry and upset, I was reacting so strongly to something that might not be important. Then it suddenly occurred to me. The reason I was desperately looking for in depths of my mind was in plain sight and quite simple, but I subconsciously refused to notice it always casting it aside up until now.  
I was scared… scared of what might happen, of not knowing the future, scared for my brother, my friends, my lover, scared of Asgore… At that moment I needed certainty more than anything. Even if in the end it turned out that I was the only one I could trust, that the world was against me, I would've accepted that kind of scenario easier than a betrayal.

"I was telling Sans that I don't want to have anything to do with you anymore" – he said still not looking me in the eye. I didn't expect him to be that direct, but was kinda glad he was – "at first I really liked you two and was glad you were my friends…"  
"But not my girlfriend" – hissed Sans somehow mocking his brother at the same time. Mixture of confusion and suspicion covered my face as I narrowed my eyes at him, seeing that he shrugged as if saying "not my words"  
I looked back at Papyrus and he continued – "I was fine with human friends, yes, but a human as a family member and a magician at that is a different story"  
For a little while I didn't really know what to say. I was right about my suspicions, but the conversation went in a different direction and overall went better than expected. At least that's what it seemed like and I was willing to believe that.  
"Is that it?" – I asked to make sure I wasn't missing anything.  
Taking my hand Sans pulled me closer and made sure I was behind him – "ya're saying that reason is good enough to hand her over?"

My body froze, I couldn't even move my fingers no matter how hard I tried. "No no no, that's stupid. They're kidding, that's definitely it": I kept repeating those words in hope I'd eventually believe them.  
As Papyrus' eyes grew colder I felt my sadness turn into burning rage that instantly dried the tears that didn't show yet. Then… the anger vanished leaving an empty void inside, one with only a glimmer of hatred and fading hope.  
"Is that true?" – I asked glancing at Sans, who seemed to be regretting saying anything at all. He didn't move an inch and it was a good enough response for me – "if that's really what you want then go ahead, try, I'll greet you as an enemy"  
Frisk who was now standing right next to me helped me feel peaceful, even if just slightly. His worried eyes pinned to mine returned me to the reality from the depths of my confused mind. It felt weird to me, I should've been crying right at that moment, I should've been heartbroken, after all that's how a normal human would react, yet I didn't feel anything like that, not anymore.  
"Should we go?" – I asked with a weak smile.  
Frisk and Flowey nodded almost instantly and Sans simply moved forth making sure to walk between us and Papyrus. Passing by him we soon left him way behind, as we moved on I glanced back a couple of times.  
"Sans…" – I poked his shoulder, my eyes wide as plates – "I don't know why, but I can feel his movements, everything he does…"  
"What? How?"  
"I just said, I don't know" – I thought for a bit before saying anything else – "maybe because I'm wary of him, in a way" – It sounded a lot like a question, though I didn't intended it to be.  
"In any case, do you think he'll actually do it? I don't know what to expect from him"  
"I don't either, sunshine. I never know what he's thinking" – then looking me dead in the eye asked in slightly irritated voice – "why didja do it anyway? Didn't ya want to save it for later, to surprise Asgore or something?"  
"I didn't really think at that point, I just made something that would protect us" – I said trying to remember details – "it was more of an instinctive thing, I think"  
"Instinctive?" – he asked in a confused tone, his gaze traveling from side to side as he tried to remember something – "like with animals?"  
"Well, yeah. Animals, humans, everyone has it… wait monsters don't?" – I was amazed at that discovery more than anything.  
Sans nodded then looked back, or rather glared back at his brother who was still far behind.  
"So…" – I continued still not able to comprehend the information I accidentally learned – "you don't have instinct of survival, parenting or reprodu… I mean nothing?"  
"Nope" – he laughed – "what was that last one, again?"  
"I'm not sure what you mean"  
His teasing and laughing didn't stop for quite some time, but didn't change the stone face I was fighting to keep, for some time that is. What actually got me smiling in the end weren't his stupid and inappropriate jokes, but how happy he looked during that short period of time.

We walked into a slightly different wide area with few rectangular islands in the middle, the elevator by the far end caught my eye. Whether this one looked different, or I simply failed to notice it before I didn't know, but it looked quite weird. A large metal tube surrounded with few smaller ones was on the other end of the long crooked path. The structure was about as big as Undyne's home, though the elevator within was probably the same size as the last one.  
The light blueish shade of it with silvery shine appearing ever so often made it look like a portal connecting the closed gates to something mysterious far below.  
On one of the islands there was the second largest object in the area: a big silver ball, metal plates covering it connected to each other like puzzle pieces, a timer display in the middle showed bright green 02:00. To me it looked a lot like a bomb and I didn't like it.

Suddenly Sans stopped causing me to bump into his back while my gaze was fixed on the distance. Looking over his shoulder I saw the reason why he stopped, Frisk did too as he stood next to me grabbing on my top.  
Few black old fashioned bombs were scattered on the island before us. But what really worried Sans as well as me was the mine sticking out of the sand.  
"What the…" – was the only thing I managed to speak. I knew they wanted to kill us, but straight up blowing us up wasn't one of the scenarios I came up with.  
"This wasn't here before" – muttered Sans, his eyes scanning every inch of the sand.  
At first I wanted to throw a rock at the mine to quickly get it out of the way, but soon scratched that idea since I didn't know how powerful it actually was.  
While we were coming up with creative ideas to bypass the potentially explosive area Papyrus caught up right when we were on 0'th idea.

With my chin resting on Sans' shoulder I blankly watched the sand waiting for a miracle. I began to wonder if my barrier would help there and wanted to try. Since the elevator was already pretty close to us keeping the barrier back in the kitchen wouldn't help us anymore. Even if some of the guards decide to take that route now they won't make it here in time.  
I was able to cancel it simply by wishing and felt the dark hexagons fade away and in a bit return to my Soul. I was ready to create a new barrier almost instantly, but hesitated for a moment. The reaction I got from Flowey and Papyrus were more than discouraging for me.  
"Whatever, I'll just do it" – I thought to myself – "we need to move and fast"  
I concentrated solely on my barrier, what I was going to do wasn't something I tried, I didn't knew how it would end either. I had to create a weak barrier in order to pinpoint the mines, if there were any, but still be careful to not detonate them.  
But before I could do anything I heard a noise I was praying wouldn't sound. Tensing up my muscles I fixed my wide open eyes on now open doors. Several guards ran out of the elevator as they saw us almost in their grasp.  
"Screw it…" – I muttered under my breath as I mover my arm forward creating a strong barrier around all of us.  
"Hold on, sunshine" – said Sans taking a step back, forcing me and Frisk to do the same – "let 'em walk there for us"  
I looked at his void eyes, that were following our enemies, I wanted to say something, but his wide twisted smile made me hesitate. I knew that at some point we might be forced to fight or even kill, despite how much I wanted to avoid it, but using them like that wasn't something I could accept.

But before the right words formed in my mind a pitch-black darkness surrounded me, leaving no one around. A calm and quiet voice whispered so close to me "it is your choice to save them or yourself" and died away. In mere moments the darkness faded and I found myself standing exactly where I was before, but there was no one around.  
I looked back, but the path was empty. It seemed like they vanished into this air.  
There were only our footprints on the sand behind, but the ones ahead seemed odd to me. They passed the mined area and were reaching me, but there weren't any signs of a struggle or a fight as if the guards simply left after coming this far, after they were able to stand next to us.  
"What did he mean, save them?" – I thought to myself – "were they taken hostage or something? If so why is Gaster trying to help?"  
For some time I stood there unable to move as countless thoughts raced through my mind. A shiver passed through me as I let out a trembling breath. He wasn't helping me, he wouldn't, he told me once that my murderous Soul was what he desired and I was almost sure that was what he was aiming for, he wanted to make me kill. He wanted me grow angry, hateful towards monsters and wanting revenge.  
I felt helpless, scared, I knew the scientist was playing with me on palm of his hand and I couldn't do anything about it, everything was probably going as he planned.

Soon I realized that my vision was blurring as tears found their way out. I tried to fight against them for a little while, but soon gave up. Sitting down I hugged my legs letting the warm tears flow, feeling despair take over. I didn't know how much time passed before I calmed myself and sorted my thoughts out. I didn't have any sort of plan, all I knew was that I had to go on.  
The moment I give up was the moment they die: that was something my dad told me many times over during his stories and it was something that helped me now, it made me feel brave and determined again even if only slightly and made me confident about one thing. If my theory about Gaster was right, than he didn't take into account something crucial and that was me: I wouldn't kill, no matter what.  
Wiping the last of my tears away I stood up and looked forward. There was a chance they didn't know I was back yet, so I couldn't risk calling anyone. Taking a long and deep breath I finally took my first step following the huge footsteps of the guards.

An ominous structure loomed in the distance. Lava surrounding it from all sides illuminated its metal surface dying it orange, the light emitting from the hot matter was barely enough for me to see its top.  
A huge dark tower-like structure was standing far away, a dozen of enormous metal tubes rising from the lava around it were tracing its outlines, binding it, twisting and disappearing somewhere among each other.  
Alphys told me once that it was the Core, the main energy generator of the entire Underground. The king's castle was right above it.  
My finale destination was there, right in front of my eyes. Hope once again found its way into my hardened Soul.

I was on my own now, alone to help my loved ones. Thoughts of them filled my mind, their images flashed before my eyes filling me with determination more and more and more, until there was no space left.  
Now I could feel my Soul completely, its very structure, its every flow and crack. For the first time I didn't have to guess anything, I knew exactly what I was capable of.

I knew what my Soul could create and destroy.


	17. Lair

The ride in the elevator was a lot longer than before, or maybe it was my imagination. Either way I had enough time to think about my future actions and come up with a plan, but since I didn't know what Gaster wanted for sure only few ideas came to mind.  
Though I had a problem, I had to hide any and all ideas I would come up with, letting him realize even the smallest thing could end up deadly not only for me, but for my friends too. It also included hiding my emotions, which would've been a lot harder to do.  
On my way up I decided to call Sans too, but couldn't reach him. I was hoping that all this was a huge misunderstanding, that they were up ahead waiting for me. In my mind I could practically see us laughing and joking about all this, but fate wasn't that kind.

Now standing on a dark red path I watched the trail of sandy footsteps disappearing far ahead. Taking several steps I, for a bit, watched the monster sitting at the edge of the path to the right of me that I failed to notice before.  
His green skin and bright yellow suit made him stand out in this dark place. In a way he looked like a cat with his pointy ears and whiskers. His face was turned away from me making it look completely black, but I did notice his bright blue eyes.  
A half-eaten donut was in his hand and three more: on a napkin next to him.  
Right behind the monster stood the merchant who most definitely sold him the pastries.

Behind a simple, neatly decorated wooden table was a young girl. The spider-monster was a little taller than me, her short hair was up in neat twin tails tied with white bows. Unlike any other person I've seen on the surface, it somehow didn't make her look childish.  
She was wearing a dark purple fancy dress, laces of a lighter shade were covering her arms and chest, dark purple ribbon was tied in a loose bow around her waist. Both the fashion and the color of her clothing were quite different from everything in the Underground I've previously seen, nevertheless it looked really well on her pale blueish, slim figure.  
Six arms were sticking out from under a short grey cape, besides her huge completely black eyes there were six smaller ones on her forehead, fangs were decorating her sweet smile, but despite all that the girl didn't look anything creepy, I'd say she was cute.

I figured that healing items, especially sweet ones, were something I might really need in near future and she seemed willing to sell some. With that thought in mind I stepped closer to the stand that had two silver plaits on it: one filled with colorful donuts, other with cruasans.  
"Welcome, dearie" – she said, her voice sweet and high pitched, pleasant to listen to, yet somehow alarming – "would you like to purchase anything? All proceeds go to real spiders"  
"Sure, how much is this?" – I asked pointing at a delicious looking cruasan.  
"That will only cost you 9999G" – she smiled.  
"Nevermind then" – I sighed feeling down again – "you just crushed my dreams"  
Seeing that my drama attempt had no effect on her I turned around to leave then added noticing her curious look – "I don't have that kind of money and even if I did I wouldn't give it for sweets"  
With that I walked away leaving the spider girl behind. It made me smile for a split second when I realized what I subconsciously called her.

Before I knew it I was standing at the edge of the path, twenty one little square islands in front of me only supported by a greenish grey pipes and separated by small gaps were arranged in the circle.  
Just like the paths around them, the islands were mainly made of metal that showed at the edges and on the sides. Red and orange lights were shining through rare cracks and holes both on sides and at the bottom.  
Jumping over the gaps I quickly found myself at the center. From there I could only see where the left path lead. A small dark red tower with an upside-down heart on top of the black entrance was at the far end.  
I moved in that direction preparing for the upcoming puzzle. This was just like the previous one, only slightly harder: I had one shot instead of two. After a short struggle I was outside again. Ignoring a pair of diamond-head kids I headed back and across the floating islands and soon found myself in front of yet another conveyer belt: one I passed in a second.

The second puzzle tower was far away, on the other end of a long conveyer belt. Seeing that I began to wonder how many more of those were there and why didn't the great genius Gaster think of anything else along the way.  
The annoying thing about this one were several lasers lined up across it.  
"I have neither time, nor desire to play along their **stupid** games" – I growled.  
Calling my Soul forth I created one big hexagon to my side, placing my hand on it clutched it slightly. A quiet sound of breaking glass filled the space as the barrier shattered.  
Shards of it, sharp as razors, kept floating around my hand just as I commanded. With a swift movement of my hand I launched the shards straight into the droid, as I called them. Within moments lasers were no more.  
On my, now easy, way I tried to rest my Soul. If I understood Sans' explanation correctly, LOVE in me now was higher than I'd like to admit.  
During the puzzle and on the way back I tried not to think of it and distracted myself with everything possible, including a single blooming cactus by the path.

A familiar noise could soon be heard as the massive gates ahead opened leading me forth. The scene I soon stumbled upon worried me quite a lot: the red metal path ended midway to cede its place to a different, a dangerous looking one. Its surface was pitch black, to the point where I couldn't actually see it. I kind of regretted leaving my staff behind, since I had a sudden urge to check every step I wanted to take, but now I didn't have the means. The only indicator, that there wasn't a complete emptiness before me, was bright purple trim on either sides of the path, as well as a tall purple building on the other end.  
A spider web above the black doorway and my earlier encounter were enough for me to realize where I was headed. Silvery shine of several strings stretching endlessly in the darkness made me feel more watchful and cautious.

I slowly walked towards the entrance, my hand on the knife handle. My breathing soon got quiet enough for me to hear every noise and every rustle around me.  
At first it was mainly silent, then I heard whispers. Soft whispers both distant and close, everywhere around as if coming from a dream.  
I stopped for a moment and listened carefully, in hope to hear them clearer and shortly after I did: whispers about human's hatred towards spiders. Although it was true that humans either fear or hate those creatures that should totally burn in hell, the voices exaggerated the methods we use to get rid of them.  
But what caught my attention the most was a voice telling how greedy humans were with their money. Could that be about what happened earlier? As soon as the thought crossed my mind I turned my head in the direction of that small voice in an attempt to see the creature it belonged to, but only met darkness.  
Something sticky wrapped around my foot tearing my gaze away from my search. Looking down I saw the culprit: a big spider web I stepped into twinkled in silver and gold reflecting the dancing flames far above.

From then on I paid more attention to where I was going, but despite my attempts I had no other choice, but to go through some of the webs as they were getting larger and more frequent.  
A large part of the path I had to pass through was completely covered in webs, with no way to go around. To me it looked a lot like a trap, yet I couldn't do anything about it, I had to go through like it or not.  
At first I wanted to clear the path with my barrier, or at least try to, but soon gave up on the idea. It felt dangerous to call out my Soul in that place. Whatever creature was lurking in the darkness it could easily snatch the heart shape right away, that's what it felt like, that's what my Soul told me.

Taking a deep breath I stepped right into the web, the feeling wasn't pleasant, but one I had to endure, if not for me than for Frisk. It didn't take long before I was stuck completely, unable to move an inch. Clicking my tongue I took out my knife and got down to cutting everything possible around my legs, thanking God in the process that there were no spiders around.

A sweet, high-pitched, yet pleasant voice spoke so close to me.  
"Welcome, dearie" – she said with a wide smile on her face.  
The girl was sitting on a large spider web, on a bit higher level than me with her legs crossed, she was leaning on one pair of arms, the other two were busy holding tea cups, a tea pot and sugar.  
Before I could react in any way more web strings appeared out of nowhere binding me completely. They were thin, yet somehow strong as ropes would be, I couldn't tear them, couldn't even move my arms properly and struggling only got me tangled even more.  
Glancing at the slightly loose threads, hanging in thin air that disappeared into nothingness, I concluded that this was some kind of magic and not actual spider web, this put my mind at ease to some degree. Now I no longer had any choice to quickly free myself other than using the barrier, yet my intuition stopped me. Biting my lip I tried to move my knife and managed to cut through a thin layer.  
It was far from enough and if things went on same way I'd need a lot of time to be able to do anything. At that point I just hoped she wouldn't do something I couldn't handle. For a split second I even though that she wouldn't harm me at all, but that thought shattered as darkness surrounded us and a battle began.

My Soul was in front of me: its color a bit darker, its shape different.  
Few large cracks covering its surface connected in several spots making parts of it disconnect completely. The flowers were nowhere to be found, instead a bright crimson glow omitted from within, shining through the cracks between the broken pieces hovering so close to each other. Occasionally a dark, almost black matter would drop from the Soul cutting right through her magic. Although I've never seen anything like that before, I knew what it was: the danger that _they_ set loose.  
"Ahuhuhu. Just like he said" – she laughed causing me to look at her – "it really does look strange. I wonder what a human with that kind of Soul taste like"  
As I looked up the glyphs spelling out my enemy's name showed up and a white "Muffet" appeared before me.

Muffet's smile still sweet as ever was on her lips, yet dangerous aura grew thicker around her as she held the tea pot in front of her and a bright purple drop of semi-transparent liquid fell from it and into the spider web beneath my feet.  
Within seconds some of the strings dyed purple too, some changed color around me, some of the others bound my Soul. Others simply crossed by it as if laying paths for the Soul to follow.  
A small spider with a picture of, probably, another spider held high above its head passed by me. Raising a brow I followed it with my gaze expecting it to crawl on me or something, but it never did. Instead it just left, soon getting far enough to blend with the darkness.  
The moment our little buddy disappeared from our sight, several more crawled up moving straight to the Soul, and fast. In a moment of panic I struggled to set myself free, but the magic bound me with a stronger force. With no way to move my body I moved my Soul, it was a harder task than walking away, but I didn't really have a choice at that point.  
The purple magic had some kind of weird effect: it only allowed the heart shape to move where the purple strings were. At first it was a bit confusing, but once I got a hang of it the battle became easier than usually. Plus now I had to only concentrate on a small area in front of me, since the battlefield was entirely in my field of view.

Relaxing my muscles I let the web support my weight, that wasn't much, but I, at least, wasn't tensed up all the time and could rest my body.  
I quickly noticed that the spiders with different pictures warned me about Muffet's next move. Mainly it wasn't very helpful, since I only knew what she was going to use and the patterns were a mystery, but was still grateful. During one of my turns I tried to get rid of the annoying purple strings with a barrier shard, but to no avail, it only phased through, so instead I surrounded my Soul with hexagons in case something bad came up.  
After one point Muffet used one of the greatest tortures one could come up with, she started using their own products to attack me. Delicious looking pastries flew by me non-stop and I couldn't even eat them… they were lost forever.

During the entire fight Muffet kept telling me how happy my Soul would make all the spiders, but frankly I didn't care. I only wanted this to end as soon as possible, but had no idea what to do.  
"Oh, how rude of me! I almost forgot to introduce you to my pet" – she said looking to her left – "It's breakfast time, isn't it? Ahuhuhu"  
With that a horde of spiders attacked, after dodging them perfectly a creepy growl sounded making me question my safety. It sounded like a big, wild creature, but wasn't anything familiar. The growl was shaky, deep and quiet, yet it made the air around me tremble sending shivers down my spine. In mere moments something big appeared in the dark, running straight at me.  
A small cry escaped my lips as the creature got closer at an incredible speed, I instinctively shut my eyes when it was mere inches away.  
I thought I failed, I was waiting for it to reach my Soul, for the pain, but nothing came. Instead I felt the creature scratching a barrier, then slowly getting further and further away. Opening my eyes in a little while I saw the creature trying to crawl up the barrier I didn't remember putting up.  
"I did it subconsciously again, didn't I?" – I sighed.

Now that it was on a safe distance from me I could examine it without a worry. The creature was about my size, maybe even bigger, it looked like a hybrid of a spider and a cupcake. Its huge black eyes looked lost as it didn't understand what was happening and why it couldn't pass. Yet its mouth, full of razor sharp teeth, that was taking up most of its head made the creature look extremely dangerous.  
I couldn't help but wonder how Muffet tamed that monster. And the fact that she could made me worry for my current situation even more.  
Looking back at her I felt a bit of a confusion then immense amount of joy.  
Her wide open eyes were pinned on her pet in pure terror, but it didn't last long. Her expression soon softened and she looked back at me, her eyes calm, yet I could feel the strong hatred and danger she emitted.  
"The monster who told us about you promised a lot of money for your Soul" – she giggled – " but I suppose it doesn't matter anymore, rotten ingredients has to be discarded"  
I knew it wasn't just a threat or a bluff and soon realized how right I was. Spiders crawled up and pastries were launched at me without any patterns, giving my Soul hardly any room to move. As time passed and turns replaced one another the numbers of the enemies increased more and more.  
I had no other choice but to fight them off with a barrier, leaving the Soul motionless.

At that moment I really wanted to kill them all as fast as possible and move on, not because I was scared or couldn't keep up, but simply because I was bored. I knew that in the past, in a different timeline I felt that way more than once, but now it was alien to me, yet I didn't push it away, didn't try to fight it. In a way I welcomed it.  
"What's wrong with me" – I thought to myself realizing what I was subconsciously doing – "am I really that messed up? Heh… no wonder Gaster likes my Soul" – I shook my head – "no, I can't think that way. No one will die, not by my hand"  
But wasn't that how I felt from the very beginning? I knew how to act and how not to, but I liked the killing intent, I wanted to feel it… No, that's not just it, it did happen before, I felt it once while fighting Papyrus. Maybe other times too, times I now didn't remember.

It scared me, I felt like I couldn't trust my own thoughts anymore, it felt like I'd do something regrettable if they're not controlled.  
My thoughts were interrupted with a sting in my chest that gradually got stronger and spread through my entire body. Regaining my sight I saw the reason: I got hit several times in a row, it dropped my health significantly.  
I chased away all my thoughts: good or bad clearing my mind and quickly regained my control to recreate a stronger barrier.  
"I have to concentrate" – I whispered taking a deep breath.  
The task wasn't an easy one, but soon I was back to normal, at least for the time being and it was good enough for me.  
I knew Muffet had to stop at some point, she couldn't go on forever. That's what I kept telling myself, it was my only hope, since I had no idea what to do or tell her.  
Luckily I came up with something I could use during my turns. I learned to control the dark liquid from my Soul and worked on manipulating it to free my arm. And soon I managed to: the arm was out along with the knife. It made my job dodging a lot easier, since moving my Soul with my hand required less energy or concentration.  
Unfortunately neither the knife nor the liquid were able to free the Soul itself from the purple magic, both went through it as if there was nothing.  
Fortunately both worked perfectly fine on the regular white web and after several moves I got it almost all off.

"What am I gonna do after I'm free?" – I thought to myself while dodging more spiders that seemed a lot slower than before – "it doesn't look like she's stopping any time soon"  
An idea suddenly rushed into my mind, there was something I could do, the only problem with it was the amount of energy I'd need to use. I wasn't in a position where I could do anything mindless or too risky, but there weren't any other options left.  
I knew that there was a huge possibility for Frisk and Sans to be safe. I came to a conclusion that the main reason for all this was to separate us, make us more vulnerable and, if it was the case, killing my friends wouldn't be beneficial for them, not until they got whatever they wanted from me if there was anything.  
But despite that I chose to ignore the hope, if I prepared myself for the worst, victory would get closer.

After getting the annoying web off of me completely I waited for my turn again. Once it came I concentrated on the battle. Summoning all my courage I denied its darkness, tried to stop it, asked it to, but nothing happened.  
Was I doing something wrong? I was sure there wasn't anything different from before, from where I practiced with Sans. Then it occurred to me: I wasn't determined enough, at all to be exact. Whatever happened with the determination I previously had didn't matter right now.  
Closing my eyes I took a deep breath and cleared my mind. Once again gathering my courage I refused to fight, rejected the space trapping me…  
Moments passed like minutes as I waited, then the darkness faded returning color to my body. Just like that time with Undyne I was able to stop it. But it was too early to celebrate. Muffet was still there, baffled and shocked, but a threat nonetheless. Grinding her teeth she tried to start another battle, but I refused.

Now want it or not, I had to talk to her, I felt like I could reason with her if I chose my words correctly that is. I opened and closed my mouth a couple of times in attempts to phrase my thoughts delicately, but before I could say anything, something caught my eye. A little spider ran straight to Muffet, I wouldn't notice it if not for the letter in its tiny legs. Despite everything going on around me it looked adorable and I couldn't hold back the quiet "aww" that escaped my lips.  
Shifting her attention from me Muffet took the letter and began reading it. I tried to come up with few escape routes during that time, instead of running like a maniac God knows where.  
"Huh? It's a telegram from the Ruins" – Muffet practically yelled – "They're saying that they saw you and you were really passionate about spiders!"  
"I was?" – I asked in attempts to remember something – "of course I was" – I exclaimed after my memory betrayed me, I figured bluffing would be the best strategy for now – "how can you not be, they're so cute… you… you mean those two donuts that I bought, don't you?"  
Muffet completely ignored my ramble and I was totally fine with it. Overall this turn of events seemed beneficial for me, so I decided to wait for a bit. I waited patiently for her to read the letter, in hope we'd come to some kind of understanding.  
Once done she carefully folded the paper and put it aside, then looked at me with apologetic eyes that had no effect on me whatsoever.  
"Oh my, this has all been a big misunderstanding" – she said in a cheery voice that made me want to punch her – "I thought you were someone that hated spiders"  
"You weren't wrong" – I mumbled quite enough for only me to hear.  
"The person who wanted that Soul must've meant a different human. Sorry for all the trouble" – a sweet smile covered her lips making me angrier than I already was.  
"Well at least it's over" – I sighed, but the spider lady cut me off.  
"I'll make it up to you" – she said and a bright hope of free sweets shone upon me before it was all taken away from me – "you can come back here any time… and for no charge at all"  
"That's it?" – I asked, my voice dripping with disappointment.  
"Of course!" – She was acting as if didn't know what I meant – "see you again, dearie!"  
Waving me a goodbye she left quickly disappearing into the darkness and I was left alone. Hiding my Soul I continued my way.  
"If Sans was here, he wouldn't tolerate this" – I mumble like a butthurt child that was threatening others with their parents.

The hallway up ahead I soon walked into was far from comforting. For some reason my brain immediately compared it with a cinema from 90s. Although it had some similarities, it was quite different too.  
A dark purple carpet was covering the black floor. Bright purple paint on long walls had cracks in it and was chipping near the black ceiling. Tiny dim lights scattered across it made it feel like I was staring into a starry night sky. For a short while it captivated me, made me stop and stare at it. It made me feel serene.  
Don't know how long I stood there before moving on, it seemed like the time stopped to give me a chance to regain my senses, to feel like a human again, instead of a demon.

I was about halfway through the hallway when a poster caught my eye. It had Mettaton's silhouette on it, something about a theatre play was written there, though I didn't bother to read. The time of performance was too big to ignore, it was drawing near. That fact and the dark room ahead gave me a bad feeling.

I was praying for my hunch to be wrong, but deep down knew what was waiting for me.  
Taking a deep breath I walked into the darkness, then stopped after several steps as I heard a slow music playing in the distance.

And a bright light illuminated the space around me.

A/N  
I've started a new story. If anyone's interested please check it out


	18. Alone

For a while now Sans didn't have anything better to do than stare at his shoes. His every attempt to think of something positive ended in failure, his mind was now concentrated on one thing only: her. She was taken away from him so easily, he failed to protect the only woman he ever loved and it was driving him crazy. Determination, or whatever was burning in his Soul, was now whispering to him to get her back, to get revenge, or so he thought.  
For a moment his gaze fixed on the guard that would occasionally pass by almost too close to the rusty iron bars despite the large empty space around him.  
Leaning on the cold stone wall Sans closed his tired eyes letting out a sigh. He wanted to get out of that place as soon as possible, to rush to her side, but where to? Last time he saw her was back in Hotland where, for the first time in years, he heard Gaster's voice.

"What the hell he wants?" – Sans growled causing the guard to jump a little.  
He was obviously scared of the skeleton brothers and wasn't doing a good job hiding it. That was something they could easily use when the time was right. Both Sans and Papyrus already had ideas regarding that, dozens of them actually, but it was still too risky to do anything.  
Soon the dimly lit corridor of the dungeon emptied entirely, some more time later Sans heard a distant sound of a TV. It wasn't anything special at first, only a slow, stupid music he managed to ignore, but then everything got significantly worse. Mettaton's monotone voice began to… sing? It was ridiculous to say the least, and the fact that the robot was tone deaf didn't help in that regard.

"Great" – Sans rolled his eyes – "they locked me in this hellhole and now this crap?"  
"Wait, so it means no one's around, right?" – Papyrus' voice sounded from the far dark corner, almost like a whisper – "this is our chance to escape"  
"We can't, she's still in danger. I don't even know where she is or what that asshole wants"  
"I know, she was a good friend all this time, but I'm not going to risk my life for a magician. You shouldn't either"  
"I'm not in a mood for this" – Sans hissed, crimson flame emitting from under his closed eyelid – "if not for her than at least think of the kid, he's missin' too, isn't he?"  
With that the tall skeleton grew silent.

Suddenly for his brother Sans' magic vanished and the usual white pins took their place in his eye sockets. In a flash he found himself by the locked gate clutching the bars.  
Far away, what it seemed like, from another room he heard a familiar voice singing a serene melody in a language he had never heard. Before long the song died away and silence took over.  
Smiling to himself Sans sat back down. His Soul now rested a bit easier as he knew she was safe.

* * *

"A romantic song, really?" – I thought watching Mettaton slowly take the stairs down on his single wheel.  
A long white dress was on his square self. If that wasn't ridiculous enough to laugh at than the immense amount of laces and ribbons surely made his character look completely stupid.  
The robot didn't seem to mind though. He held the gown up slightly with two of his hands, while other two were gently tracing the, simple yet beautiful, railing on both sides of the stairs.  
Blocking out the song the best I could, but still not losing the voice entirely I examined my surroundings a bit more.

The scene overall wasn't bad, despite the _brilliant_ actor before me.  
To the right of me there was nothing at all, only a tall stone wall could be seen in the distance that was almost blending with the darkness.  
The background of the stage illustrated a starless night sky with a still waking town below and dark woods in the distance, in a way it reminded me of Snowdin. I chose to ignore the sadness and longing that was building up inside of me, for the sake of our safe return to that place.  
Letting out a sigh I looked up at the castle or manor above. It wasn't anything special, mainly because the staircase and the balcony it was leading down from were the only things visible.

Shortly the song ended and I once again payed attention to Mettaton.  
"So sad that you are going to the dungeon" – he said putting a napkin to his face as if crying.  
I was a bit confused by his words, didn't really know what he meant, since I wasn't listening. I assumed it was part of the play, so acted accordingly.  
I hung my head down, eyes half closed and muttered – "it's not your fault"  
I expected him to continue, to say some sort of a cheesy line, but instead his maniacal self came out and his screen turned bright red.  
"Well, toodles!" – It said in a… happy tone.  
Needless to say I was surprised, alerted, even scared. "robots shouldn't be able to sound this way" – that thought clung at the back of my mind as I observed him. Something that shouldn't have been possible happened right in front of my eyes, but these thoughts didn't stay for long.  
A quiet sound came from below and I felt the floor moving from under my feet. With the corner of my eye I noticed a remote with a red button in one of the robot's hands, just like the one from last time.  
My heart rate picked up as I realized what was about to happen. In a rush I jumped back and, surprisingly for me, was able to get off of the platform that opened up a black pit way too quickly.

The time slowed down for a moment as I lost my balance. Everything around was in a slow motion giving me enough time to grasp the situation. I tensed up preparing for the inevitable impact, but nothing came, I kept falling into the darkness until the lights ceased.  
When my back finally hit the ground I was surprised at how soft the landing was. Getting up almost instantly I looked around. I was standing on a somewhat wide piece of rock, thick layer of orange sand under my feet. A short conveyer belt was connecting it to a wide, long path ahead. From here I couldn't see all of it, but the visible part was completely laid out in colorful tiles.

"Oh no! Whatever shall I do? My love has been cast into the dungeon" – Mettaton glided down – "a dungeon with a puzzle so dastardly…"  
Sighing I once again tried to block his babbling out, but this time it didn't last as his words caught my interest.  
"The horrible colored maze! Each color has its own marvelous function" – he began explaining.  
As he listed a couple of them I remembered Frisk telling me about something similar, a puzzle Papyrus made for him.  
"Oh, that puzzle" – I whispered quietly, but Mettaton heard me anyway.  
"I see you know of it" – he said – "in that case I don't need to explain it again"  
For a couple of seconds silence surrounded us, I looked around waiting for something to happen. Then the robot spoke, his voice deep and almost real.  
"You'd better hurry, because if you don't get through in thirty seconds you'd be incinerated by those jets of fire… gorgeous"  
But I didn't budge, for some reason all my desire to play along and, possibly help Mettaton out, disappeared in an instant. I originally wanted to use this opportunity to befriend the robot, but now it didn't matter to me anymore, I only wanted to proceed.

Stepping closer to the edge of the cliff I tried to block the flames off with a barrier, but it didn't work. The robotic laughter coming from behind became very annoying very fast, it soon became my top priority to shut him up.  
Shortly I came up with a plan and hoped it'd work as well as I imagined. I figured that if I couldn't affect the flames directly I should attack the pipes shooting them.  
The time was already running out, so I had one or two chances at best. I quickly launched a large hexagon downwards at full speed, making it break right before the impact. The result wasn't what I was hoping for, but it seemed to be enough. Four pillars of flame died out, two of which were right next to each other near the center. It wasn't much, but I could probably get through.  
"I see you found a different solution" – said Mettaton, his voice same as before, yet I knew he was pissed – "you decided to play by your own rules and didn't start the puzzle, and for that… you'll die!"

He was about to attack, something I wanted to avoid at any cost. I knew that if nothing was done I'd waste my precious time, if not worse. Without much time to think I did what came to mind first.  
"Oh please" – I said rolling my eyes and Mettaton stopped – "you couldn't even best me in that cooking show, and this "act" of yours wasn't any better. Do you really think you'll succeed in something more serious?"  
I regretted every single word I said, they could have had the exact opposite effect of what I was aiming for, but it was too late, they left my mouth before I could stop them. All I could do now was act confident and hope for the best.  
"My act?" – He asked slowly, as if making sure he heard me right.  
It made me feel bad for a moment as I never intended to hurt his feelings. My only means to feel better about myself were thoughts about Asgore and my goal to reach him alive.  
"Let's see how you'll manage" – he said after a while, his voice then shifted – "I'll crush you!"

I raised a brow not sure what to think of that. Was he really asking me to perform? I wasn't the best at it, didn't really try much either, but was sure I'd be win considering the fact that he did almost nothing.  
"What do you want me to do exactly?" – I asked a bit confused.  
"Sing" – he said slowly, like he was explaining astrophysics to a three year old.  
Quickly going through my memories I tried to recall the times I sang or hummed. He shouldn't have heard me sing before, he never had the chance, so it left me questioning why he was so certain of victory. In any case it seemed favorable for me, so with a barely visible nod I mumbled an "ok". Within mere moments Mettaton gave out few orders regarding cameras and lights and told me to face the other way for the audience, which I did, then moving in front of me once again he motioned me to start.

I didn't have time to think and panicked before a single song came to mind. It was a calm melody from a video game I once played. I didn't have the luxury of choice, so without wavering any further I took a deep breath.  
Just like Sans said: with every word and phrase, with every language that came to replace the previous one, my emotions grew deeper and stronger, twisted with each other, then rested just to carve themselves into my Soul.  
I no longer noticed anything in front of me, nor Mettaton hanging in the air, neither the camera softly glimmering in the darkness. Along with the melody my mind traveled to another world.

Orange sand was spreading as far as eye could see, rising into tall hills and flowing down into the unknown, twinkling gently and dyeing into deeper and warmer color under the setting sun.  
A dark red cape and a long red scarf with glowing ancient writings were dancing in the wind, leading me forth to the ruins of the past.  
Magnificent buildings, temples and palaces all around were no more than wracked memories of what once was, yet somehow more beautiful than even. Ruins of ancient city rose from endless sand all around more and more with each second, until ceased entirely as a tall mountain drew closer.  
Finally on top of it, led by runes long forgotten through snow and gust, my journey ended.

The darkness in the small underground cave grew silent as the music in my head ended and my voice stopped.  
Quickly coming to my senses I looked back at Mettaton waiting for his response, or any other reaction he might've had. He was still hanging there, now completely motionless as if waiting for something. I noticed that the colorful tiles were now greyed out, possibly due to my "performance", at least that's what I was hoping for.  
I wanted to say something to break this awkward silence, but before I had a chance to, he glided upwards and out of sight. I wasn't quite sure what just happened and waited for a bit, looking around, before realizing he wasn't coming back.  
"Did he give up?" – I thought.  
In any case I didn't want to wait around to find out and, possibly, lose this chance of escape.

Picking up pace I stepped closer to the puzzle and was soon sprinting through it, ready for a surprise attack at any moment and only rested at ease on the other side. From there a fiery red staircase lead up into an open area with yet another staircase at its end.  
Going up I kept my hand on the knife handle, still cautious of my surroundings. Once on top I let my guard down, since the area was empty. The only monster present was an ice cream seller that ran out of ice cream. In the process of finding that out I realized how big of an asshole he was, he seemed dangerous too, more than other monsters that is. So my first and only thought was to stay away from him as much as possible.  
The stage I was on a while ago was on the left side of the area and the elevator to the right only lead down. Both were useless to me at the moment, so I simply took the stairs up and on the way tried calling my friends, but no one answered. Although the stairs weren't long I was exhausted by the time I reached the top.  
Stopping in an unknown place for a rest wasn't the best idea, so ignoring the pain in my legs and back for now I stumbled closer to the large building before me. At first sight it resembled a business building, an "MTT" sign hung above the entrance, the light shining through matted glass doors, somewhat, brightened the small area in front of it. Rows of countless windows were lined up one after the other creating a ladder like image that only ended high up.

It took me a while but I soon noticed the king's ancient castle in the background, overlapped by the newer construction. It made me feel sad and, somehow, lonely when I realized how the beauty of old times died away with the passage of time even in the Underground. For some time I stared at the tall black tower behind the thick caste wall. About a dozen of little stone houses scattered on the hill outside of it shone with their tiny bright lights like fireflies.  
"Maybe I should go straight to it" – I thought, my gaze still pinned to the castle – "yeah… I should avoid anything that isn't strictly necessary for now"  
But my search for a path came to a dead end… literally. The path to my left was blocked off by a brick wall that, by the looks of it, was built recently. To the right there was a dark, dangerous looking alley, walls by the entrance were covered in cracks and graffiti: not the most friendly looing place.  
But to me it looked like a potential way to my destination, therefore: worth checking out. Bracing myself I walked towards it and soon was swallowed by darkness I was starting to get sick of. But soon it became the least of my concerns, after only few steps I felt a rough cold hand wrap around my arm. At first I froze at place paralyzed with fear, but the moment a whisper echoed from the walls I panicked. A small cry escaped my lips and I threw a punch God knows where hitting something hard. As soon as the creature let go of me I ran back into the dim light.  
Once outside I looked back catching my breath, but there was nothing.

"I don't wanna go in" – I muttered to myself – "God, help me"  
Walking back and forth for a couple of minutes I finally mastered the courage to go back in there, but this time my knife was unsheathed, tightly held by single hand.  
Stepping in I stopped and waited for my eyes to adjust, soon I was able to make out certain parts of my surroundings and the faint light from my pendant made clear the small area around it.  
The alley was narrow and only several meters long. An old stand was by the far wall, white paint covering it was chipping in several spots exposing half rotted wood. Light colored tablecloth covered only the top of the stand with some items neatly arranged on it. I made out few of them: an old looking hat, an 18th century gun and a pile of… something. Taking few more steps I realized that the pile consisted of fast food: burgers and hot dogs looked ok, except some had bite marks on them.

A sudden movement from behind the stand made me jump as my eyes pinned to the darkness.  
"You've got a lot of nerve to come back here, cause you might, like, die now" – said a somewhat gruff and annoying female voice.  
"That was, like super uncool" – said the second voice. This one was a lot warmer, but equally annoying.  
Taking a step forward yet again I narrowed my eyes trying to take a better look, and then I saw them. Two figures next to each other came into view. Another step allowed the crystal on my chest to illuminate the monsters well enough to examine.  
To the left stood the more eye-catching one of the two: a crocodile, about six feet tall was glaring down at me, her piercing amber eyes examining every inch of my existence. Wavy ginger hair was covering most of her visible green scales, each of which would get darker near the center. A long silky black dress looked surprisingly good on her large body, in a way making her look less frightening.  
A rough hand a couple of times larger than my own was resting on her shoulder in a comforting way. I assumed it was the spot I hit het at.  
"Sorry about that…" – I said carefully watching her – "I, umm… I got scared"  
The main reason why I apologized were her huge claws and rows of sharp teeth sticking out from her half open mouth. My breathing got even and calm when I saw her gaze soften as she looked down at her friend.

A monster several inches shorter than the croc was still glaring at me. It made me uncomfortable, but I didn't dare to move.  
She was a light grey cat with black and white paws, spotted ears sticking out of short black hair. Big emerald green eyes were shining slightly in the dark reflecting what little light there was.  
"So…" – I said after a long awkward silence – "how do I get to the castle?"  
Long laughter filled the space echoing from the mossy walls. Facepalming mentally I waited for them to finish, although it was quite annoying I didn't mind, that change of mood helped me relax a little bit more.  
"Just go through the hotel, duh" – said the cat.  
"Ooh, so that's what it was. Thanks!"  
"But you can't get in there, so, like, give up" – added the croc.  
"I'll find a way" – I smiled feeling a small flame of confidence burn in my Soul.  
Before they could say anything else I turned around and walked toward the light once again.

The hotel was my only option left, so I made my way to it, though hesitantly. I wasn't entirely sure why, but something about that place seemed dangerous to me. For some time I was trying to think of something that would postpone that trip, but gave up soon enough.  
With a light push the glass doors opened leaving me speechless, this place was too different from the rest of the Underground, like another world.  
A stone fountain with Mettaton's figure on top was at the center of a large round hall. The golden ceiling was almost entirely covered with detailed carvings, a large chandelier was in the center, hanging right above the fountain, rare crystals scattered in it illuminated the hall perfectly, yet were nice to look at.  
Walls were painted in deep red with golden trim both near the ceiling and the floor. Two stone pillars to my left lead into a dimly lit corridor in beautiful shades of mulberry and wine. Golden tiled floor was cleaned perfectly, without a single stain to be seen on it, reflecting humans and monsters like a mirror.  
For the first time in a while I saw myself. I looked tired, dark bags under my eyes, my hair: messy. Few small cuts and bruises, I didn't know I got, were present on my neck and shoulders. They didn't bother me though, considering the situation I was in, so I shrugged it off.

Several monsters that were previously chatting went silent upon noticing my smaller figure. They seemed cautious of me, so instead of walking up to them I briefly examined them from afar.  
By the entrance stood a lone monster I thought was an origami, before noticing its face. That colorful creature was only several inches tall, its face radiating disappointment and anger as it continuously stared out of the tall window.  
Northeast of the fountain three monsters were seemingly discussing something in a whisper.  
The one standing out the most, in my eyes, was a dragon hardly taller than myself. Its scales were black with dark red and orange ones on its neck, limbs and tail. Four long grey horns were decorating its head, spikes of the same color: lined up on its back were getting progressively shorter. Black semi-transparent wings on the dragon's back seemed too small to rise its large body, yet I didn't doubt they could.  
A white lioness was by the dragon's side with her back turned to me, changing my position allowed me to see her entirely, or most of her at least. Unlike other monsters I've seen, this lion stood on all four of her legs. Two pairs of identical pink high heels that seemed too big on her small feet, a red knitted beret on top of her short blond hair and a small handbag by her side made her look weird enough for me to avoid her.  
The third and last monster in the group was a black slime with a bright red bowtie. I couldn't see or know any way if it was speaking or if it even could, as the only thing present on its face was a single fiery colored eyeball.

Going around the fountain and passing by the dark corridor that lead to a restaurant I met face to face hand with the reception lady. I tried my best not to stare and only threw a couple of glances in her direction as I casually passed by.  
From shoulders down she looked perfectly fine, even human-like, except for her greyish blue skin. What weirded me out was the giant hand where her head should've been. It moved slightly as she flipped through records making me avert my gaze in order not to panic. Last thing I noticed before she disappeared from view were long red nails and a ring with huge red stone on it.

Monsters here were too odd even for me and I couldn't help but feel scared. Though fortune didn't abandon me, a pair of glass doors not far from the reception came into view. A burger sign with a writing "MTT" was above them, cozy golden light was shining calmly through the glass. At that moment I could swear I found the coziest place in the entire universe. It seemed safe enough to rest my aching legs for at least a little while, with that though in mind I pushed the doors open.

I found myself in a small café with only two tables available. Apricot colored floor and ceiling filled the atmosphere with warmth, and even the yellow wall filled with Mettaton's photos couldn't ruin the mood.  
Behind the wooden counter stood a ginger cat-guy. His huge golden eyes were nowhere near friendly and his razor sharp teeth: quite threatening, though I doubted he'd attack and I knew I could fight him off if necessary.  
He was wearing white and red striped shirt and hat both spelling "MTT" in black leather. That, somehow, made his image a lot softer.  
I stepped closer to the counter picking up the menu and noticed the cat step back. Whether it was simple caution or something else I didn't know, didn't matter either. Looking away I decided to act like I didn't see or care.

My concern at that moment were prices, everything on the menu was quiet expensive and the choice wasn't wide, to say the least, but, luckily for them, this was the only clean shop around.  
"I'll take two starfaints…" – I said pointing at the cheapest product, my sleepy voice barely loud enough for him to hear.  
Without saying a word the cat exited through the door behind him returning moments later with, what it seemed like, two ice cream containers and placed them in front of me. I thanked him opening one of them. What I found inside looked like some kind of dessert, but not something I was familiar with. White and caramel cream like substance was decorated by little star shaped cookies, rainbow glitter and sprinkles.  
This was probably the only colorful thing in the entire Underground. I didn't even care what it tasted like, I was just happy to have it with me. Strangely it was enough for my exhaustion to go away almost entirely, my mood improved once again and I caught myself smiling widely.  
"I suppose you'll need this" – the cat said holding out a plastic spoon for me to take.  
He began brushing his tail nervously while staring at his paws. He looked scared and I felt like it was my fault, so putting my things away hastily I was about to leave, but the moment I turned around he spoke.  
"I…" – he mumbled trying to get as far away as possible – "I saw you on TV… miss. You… really showed him his place"  
A genuine, warm smile rushed on his face as we finally made eye contact.  
"You did?" – I felt a little embarrassed: I was on TV only twice and someone already recognized me – "I don't even know how it went"  
It was true, most of the time I was spaced out, inside my own world, didn't know how well I cooked, didn't know how my voice sounded while singing.  
As an answer I got a lecture on how nice of a change it was and how sick he was of Mettaton's "stupid" shows.

By the time I was able to talk again an idea rose in my mind. I decided to get information out of him, maybe something about Mettaton or what to expect from him in the future. It didn't feel right to use this enthusiastic cat, but I didn't have any allies and desperately needed help.  
"Why do you work for Mettaton if you… don't like him?" – I asked taking a spoonful of delicious looking dessert.  
"Don't really have a choice" – he shook his head – "Unless your magic is strong you can't do anything but obey. That's how Underground works, miss"  
I didn't really think of that before, but what he said made sense. My mind raced and I quickly recalled the places I've been at.  
The Ruins, ruled by Toriel: the powerful queen everyone were scared of both in and outside of the area. In Snowdin Sans and Papyrus were at lead, again terrified by all. In Waterfall there was Undyne and in Hotland: Alphys and Mettaton. Above them there were the Royal Guards and the King ruling over them all.  
It was weird to think that me and Frisk have been through most of it and some of those monsters were our friends now. And it was scary that despite everything that could happen to me I was heading to the worst of these nightmares without wavering.  
"You have a point" – I said chasing away those thoughts – "say… from everything that happened it's safe to assume that Mettaton wants to kill me. Do you know what I can do about it?"

He slowly shook his head, then stopped remembering something. He leaned closer to me and whispered – "I don't know what it does, but I saw something on his back, a switch of some sort. It's always turned to the same side, so I assume it turns something off"  
I had no idea how I could use that yet, but it seemed like a good start. I whispered a "thanks" in return, then changed the topic to something more cheerful. Soon we were chatting bout random things and laughing, it helped me escape from my problems for a short while. The best story he told me was the one about him getting his nickname "Burgerpants" that I liked, probably, a lot more than I should have.  
Finishing my starfaint and feeling refreshed I waved the ginger cat a goodbye, but before leaving I asked one last question.  
"Have you seen the Royal Guards lead two skeletons though here?"  
"Yeah, don't know what they did, but I'm glad those two were taken away" - he said.  
"And a kid?"  
"Didn't notice from here, sorry"

His answer made me worried more than I already was and it took me a while to notice that I was alone in the hall. Though the hand-lady was still there I felt somewhat lonely.  
The Core was right outside this place, as I previously saw, but I wanted to check everything one more time, for some reason I felt like I had to.  
At the end of a long hallway on the left side I saw the janitor. A tall monster in grey uniform and brown boots was mopping the floor lazily, but doing a great job even then. The deep green, slightly oozy goo, the monster was made of, was hanging on his face like a beard, occasionally dripping on the floor and his boots. His elderly black eyes were half closed as his tired gaze fallowed the mop.

I was about to leave when one of the four doors in the hallway opened and familiar stripes of pink and purple flashed before my eyes.  
Relieve, more than anything, overwhelmed me as my brother found his way into my arms. I didn't think much of it at first, but now it made sense why Burgerpants never saw Frisk and now hope that the other two somehow escaped too made its way into my heart.  
I wanted to ask him so many questions, how he escaped, why was he the only one? But for now asked the one bothering me the most.  
"Where are Papyrus and… Sans?" – I asked my voice weak and shaky.  
He shook his head and only mumbled a single word "gone" while trembling faintly.  
I got down on my knees so we'll be on the same level and pulled him closer in attempt to reassure him.  
"It's ok now" – I said – "we'll find them, I promise"  
He gave me a weak nod, clutching my neck with his small hands. I couldn't stand seeing this cheerful child crying in despair and I hated Asgore for doing that to him.

 _A smirk creeped on her face at the thought of what she would do to the king that took so much away from her._

A while passed before Frisk's breathing got even and he finally let go.  
"Should we go?" – I asked carefully, not wanting to push him.  
But the answer I got both surprised and encouraged me. He didn't say a word, only nodded his hands clenched in firm fists and I could literally feel determination filling first him, then me.

My lips curved into small, warm smile, now I knew I'd be fine.  
After all I found my courage again.


	19. The Core

A large building rose before us, grey stone walls and towers spreading both sideways and up, blocking almost everything from view. The only thing I could see behind it were the small lights on a hill high above and the shadow of the castle looming in the distance.  
Rare metal plates were covering small areas on the tall walls, several pipes: twisting around corners and small towers, occasionally entering or exiting cracks and gaps somehow made the structure mysterious more than anything else.  
Dim lights shining through the cracks between bricks and metal dyed the structure in blood red, along with the boiling lava beneath the entire scene emitted danger. Even going through the gates seemed unsafe, but no matter how much I wanted to turn back I couldn't.  
A small hand wrapped around my own as I stepped forward, over a long stone bridge.

"So you hid in the bushes and they didn't notice?" – I asked again remembering the small plant by the entrance and Frisk nodded – "what about Flowey? You said he got away too"  
"He hid in the ground. Said he'd help me, but went back into the Ruins first"  
"Why?"  
Frisk only shrugged leaving me more confused – "I hope he knows what he's doing…" – I sighed.  
No matter how hard I tried I couldn't think of any reason he'd ever return to that place, he seemed terrified of it, hated it. There must've been something important, something worth risking his life for, there had to: that was my hope. But for now all I could do was prey for his safe return.

Distracted by my thoughts I didn't notice how we reached the other side, although the gateway was pitch black, the moment we stepped through a blood red light, like the one outside, surrounded us. The feeling of danger somehow grew, despite my attempts to repress it I felt a shiver down my spine almost instantly and the cool air in the room made it grow stronger. The only way to shield myself from it was the fuzzy sweater around my waist I soon put on. Even if for a little bit it helped me regain my determination and feel more comfortable.

On the pale red wall in front of us was an elevator, two narrow corridors were on either sides of it: one leading into a long hallway, other: into pure darkness. I knew that in order to get to the castle I had to reach the top of the Core, so my first and most obvious choice was the elevator.  
As I took a step my heart skipped a beat while almost maniacal laughter sounded from Frisk's lips. Hexagons that covered the floor sank quickly once I stepped on them. Faintly glowing violet liquid could be seen from the small gaps that opened up, it gave off cold air that blowing on my feet made me want to move faster. Quickly making my way to the closed doors I hit the button… it didn't work, didn't even light up.  
"Is the power out?" – I said to myself, then crossed the thought out almost immediately, after all I was surrounded with light and the Core was working. I could hear its metal parts move around me, feel their trembling.  
I pushed the button one more time before moving on. I turned to my right and took a couple of steps when Frisk came running to me through the dark doorway.  
"Sis, we can't go that way" – he said, his usual cheerful voice now back to him. I gave him a puzzled look, as if asking "why", and he added – "there's no floor, we can't walk there"  
"Well that makes things a lot easier" – I muttered under my breath turning the other way and heard a quite giggle from behind.

The wide corridor we soon reached was quite similar to the previous room, yet different at the same time. Dimly glowing circles and lines on the dark red floor formed strange patterns and symbols. Glyphs covered the edges of the platform and were present in the patterns between the lines. It was beautiful, for a short while it made me forget where I was and the feeling of possible danger vanished.  
Walking through this place I wondered if this too was created by Gaster. Though I would never admit it I was hoping he didn't, that he was only the brain behind this structure, after all I saw him as nothing more than a heartless creature. Letting out a sigh I closed my eyes, when I opened them once again I was greeted with darkness and two ghostly white figures.

To the right, several inches above the ground was, what it looked like, a witch, "Madjick" written in above her head confirmed my suspicion.  
Her short dark robe was decorated with two fancy arabesques and an equally fancy old belt. Slightly pointy boots were levitating between herself and floor with nothing to support them. The wide smile underneath a pointy wizard hat was her only visible feature.  
Two crystal orbs near Madjick were moving left and right, stopping then moving again, sometimes disappearing behind her only to come back out faster than before. They seemed restless, as if inpatient for their next order.

"Knight Knight" was the other monster. Even down on his one knee this creature was about twice as tall as me. Armor was covering his large body, a helmet on his head had a silvery shine to it, needless to say that was quite unusual for a battle. A symbol resembling the sun was present on his forehead between long spiral horns, I couldn't tell if they were a part of the helmet or his own.  
The staff, quite short for his own size, had a crescent moon between its while tree like branches. The knight would occasionally hit it into the pitch black ground and I could barely feel it shake under my feet.

Just like with other battles the first turn was ours, but somehow I didn't feel as safe and kept staring at Madjick's orbs waiting for them to come launching at us. Both I and Frisk were left confused when after mere seconds one of the orbs froze and our turn ended. Within moments Knight Knight slammed his staff hard enough for a weak earthquake to form.  
A silvery white crescent moon appeared high above, massive raindrops pouring from around it. I noticed it only when the first raindrops reached the ground as I was too occupied by the orbs shooting crosses at my face. Despite the amount of projectiles around us it proved to be surprisingly easy to dodge.

"What did I do?" – I yelled when the attack stopped, too confused to care about anything else, then turned to my brother – "we didn't do anything, why did they attack?"  
My question was answered when the second orb froze from Frisk's glare, apparently all we had to do was stare at them. I facepalmed mentally, though didn't show anything externally.  
In an instant Madjick's smile turned into an angry frown as the next wave of attack came, visibly fiercer than the previous one. The two previously immobile orbs chased us through the battlefield leaving bright red crosses behind, my Soul was screaming at me to stay away from those. The sun symbol summoned by the knight created projectiles around it that I assumed were its rays. A couple of them hit me while raining down and I felt unpleasantly warm liquid on my skin for a moment, before last of its trace vanished.  
The moment their turn ended and the attacks died out, Madjick said something resembling a spell and disappeared. I felt my money purse get slightly heavier – "another magic trick" – I assumed.

Without giving much thought to it I talked to our only opponent left: silence was my answer, but somehow I could tell that he was listening carefully.  
"Sis, sing for him" – yelled Frisk as we dodged everything possible, hoping for the best.  
I didn't really understand why I had to, but went with the plan nonetheless. As a calm lullaby sounded Frisk's suggestion made sense. With every turn and every little song the knight's consciousness faded a little more and his attacks got slower and clumsier each time, until finally he drifted off.

The darkness of the battle faded soon after and we made our way to the far doorway making as little noise as we could. A path with already familiar patterns lead out of the room. A narrow bridge made of a thick layer of, what it seemed to be, glass soon appeared from behind a corner. I could already see few droids hiding in the dark not far from it. Although those were turned off I couldn't be sure they'd stay that way, so before any surprise attacks had a chance to strike I broke them with a barrier shard. As a result I got a grumpy lecture from Frisk about how I shouldn't have done that, most of which my tired brain blocked.  
To my delight the rambling eventually stopped as we approached a much longer and wider bridge. The material it was made of looked like stone, its uneven surface was cracked dividing platforms of different sizes from one another by narrow gaps. Surprisingly it was perfectly smooth at touch, almost silky.  
The bridge seemed to go on forever, past several moving lasers on it there was a long row of immobile blue ones. Our only chance to move forward through those was the split second they turned off, after flickering several times. It wasn't the most pleasant experience we've had, but at least wasn't too hard or challenging.

The corridor ahead looked a lot like the first room, except the floor was immobile to my joy and Frisk's disappointment. As we got closer to a crossroad of two narrow corridors smell of ozone filling the air around us got thicker. At that moment it reminded me of surface more than anything in the Underground, more than the snow or even the Christmas tree. Soon our old home, the mountain cloaked in mist and the cloudy sky were the only things present in my mind. Tears found their way to my eyes, but I held them back.  
"This is not the time for this" – I said to myself taking a breath.  
Scanning my surrounded I found a panel on one of the walls with glyphs on it, and by found I mean I finally noticed Frisk pointing at it for like a minute.  
"North, the warrior's path. West, the sage's path. Any path leads to The End" – I read out loud and moved to the next one on the opposite wall – "East – The End"

The only thing we got from it was that we'd need to fight up north. Neither of us was fond of that idea, so we chose sage's path instead, whatever that was.  
We took several steps in that direction when on a conveyer belt, across a large gap, appeared a huge ice cube. I've seen them too many times in Snowdin, but only now found out what those were for. Finally, after such a long time Wolf's job didn't look so stupid.  
As we walked around the corner, passing the belt I watched the cube fall into the dimly glowing depth, far below it hit some kind of weird liquid and slowly evaporated, then the next one followed.  
Soon the scene was out of sight and another crossroad was before us, to the left there was another writing – "Solve this puzzle and The End will open" – it said.  
Hearing this Frisk's excitement increased tenfold and the next couple of minutes he spent pulling me towards a dark doorway.  
Inside the dark room we found a familiar puzzle, only this one was larger and seemed a lot more complicated. It took us a while to get through it and though it was tiring and sometimes tedious I preferred it over any battle.  
"Finally over" – I said stretching while we walked back to two signs near the ice. From there we took the eastern path: a long colorless corridor.

"How much longer?" – Asked Frisk with low and tired voice after several minutes of walking.  
It seemed like the corridor was continuing forever, the start was long gone behind us and the end wasn't yet visible.  
"I'm not sure" – I shook my head – "Al never told me that much about the Core"  
"Why not?"  
"Probably didn't think she needed to. There's not much left though, see that dark spot?" – I added getting excited over it myself.  
We picked up our pace and soon, once again we stood before a sign telling us to move east. It seemed a lot like a trap at that point, but because of lack of choice we had to "play along".

Paths and corridors crossed each other, ended then started once again, at times corridors might lead into pitch darkness with no source of light whatsoever, other times paths continued into or up the walls: into endless gaps in the ceiling. This labyrinth was anything but easy to get through, but hope didn't abandon us.  
Soon the scenery began to change: walls and floor near the corners were less complete, various pipes, cables and wires could be seen through the gaps. Colors changed from deadly red to a lot more friendly violet and silver.  
I felt joy overwhelm me and a new portion of newfound energy rushed through me when a glimpse of a far bridge caught my eye.  
Two signs were on either side of a long wall: one was another reminder to go east, while the other one was sort of weird.  
It said – "I cannot fight. I cannot think. But with patience I will make my way through"  
I stared at it for a bit trying to understand what it meant, but to no avail, I tried to remember it in case it was a hint of some sort.  
Several monsters were around this place, few of them on the bridge, others in the corridors. Almost all of them were staring at us, yet none dared to approach. A fancy looking frog stepped back when it saw us, was it scared or cautious I couldn't tell. It was weird, of course there were plenty of monsters that chose not to attack, but these ones were different, were too suspicious. For now I chose to ignore them, but kept my senses sharp.

We stood before a large doorway, neon glyphs covered its black frame with a red monster Soul on top. Next to it was the elevator that now worked perfectly fine.  
We entered a dark hall, faint light from far away lamp allowed me to see the exit on the opposite side as well as a single obstacle in front of it.  
Mettaton's figure was standing motionless in the center, red lights on his face turned to us. As I took another step: a force of questionable origins pushed me back, low high-pitched sound filled my ears making me to shut them.  
I almost flew out hitting my back against the metal wall. Although the impact wasn't too strong I felt pain shoot through my body before falling on my knees. For several seconds I sat there motionless, taking deep breaths. When the pain went away and I looked around I found the door shut and the hallway empty, even the monsters we passed by not long ago vanished from sight.  
My heart sank as I realized something: Frisk was inside, alone with that insane robot. Clutching my chest I sprinted to the screen on the far wall that was previously turned off. Now it showed two white figures in pitch darkness, a scene too familiar to me.  
From behind the door I couldn't interfere in any way, that much I was sure of. I watched as Mettaton launched his attack at the child before him and felt a little bit more at ease when Frisk dodged everything. Soon it was his turn. Without waiting any second I dialed my brother's number. For now all I could do was give him the information I had.  
"Frisk, listen" – I said the moment he picked up – "there's a switch, or something like that on Mettaton's back. I don't know what it does, but I heard he doesn't let anyone touch it, even tries to hide it" – I saw him nod a couple of times as he listened – "also, Alphys installed a program on our phones: in the menu there has to be a yellow… option, I guess. Choose that and you'll be able to fight him… And don't worry, I was told it won't hurt him too much" – I added before wishing him luck.

Walking away from the screen I stood before the metal door, if I wanted to help Frisk I had to, somehow, open it. But there didn't seem to be a way, not from my side, no panel or button, not even a handle or a keyhole.  
"No other choice, huh?" – I whispered to myself looking around one more time.  
No one appeared in sight, so taking a deep breath I called my Soul out. I wasn't exactly a fan of an idea to use it for everything, but not being able to do anything while Frisk was in danger seemed like a nightmare.  
I looked down at the hovering heart, gently tracing its surface, through a large crack in the middle I noticed a bright crimson matter deep within that wasn't visible before.  
Moments later I pulled myself out of it to concentrate on the problem at hand. It took me few attempts to know that no matter what barrier I used the door was there to stay. The best result I got was bending and scraping its surface in tiny areas, the walls wouldn't give in either.  
It wasn't long before a strange sound could be heard from behind the door, then Mettaton's voice echoed from the distance.  
"Did you just flip my switch?" – Upon hearing those words I hurried to the screen.  
Frisk was still standing in the same spot, now staring into smoke few feet away from him. I could only guess what happened to the robot and my ideas were far from rainbows and sunshine, but the reality took an unexpected and, in a way, weird turn.

As the smoke started to fade I could faintly see a silhouette of a tall man. Then a voice echoed: it had a slightly robotic undertone to it, still deep and calm and, somewhat, seductive.  
"Oh! Yes!" – Was all it said.  
It probably wouldn't bother me was it in different circumstances. But now when I knew who was behind that voice, it made me cringe beyond my known limits.  
"Oh! No!" – I said in a similar manner, a bit too loudly. The next several seconds I spent wonder if he heard me.  
When the view cleared entirely I saw the man staring into the camera, judging me, probably aware of the fact that I was watching.  
His now visible features were proof of Alphys' brilliant mind, pride for my friend filled me as I examined him a little better.  
Mettaton was almost as tall as Papyrus, his long and slim legs had metallic shine to them, his broad chest was covered by a metal breastplate of a sort. From under delicately crafted shoulder pads stood out two pairs of arms, hands were, once again, slim like a sculpture's. His dark wavy hair, covering right side of his face, gently brushed his neck and shoulders.  
Mettaton's new form was resembling a human's up to the smallest details. I'd call him handsome if not for his four eyes, two of which I could clearly see on open part of his face.  
He soon averted his gaze from me to Frisk – "Lights! Camera! Action!" – He yelled and colorful lights began their dance on the stage turning white in the dark battlefield.

A chart of some sort appeared in the left corner of the screen with constantly changing numbers below. Mettaton now made his move: at first glance it seemed ridiculous and stupid, but my opinion changed soon enough. He was posing in every way and form one could think of, with every pose the numbers grew, with every pose metal pieces in shape of square Mettatons were launched at Frisk, every one seemingly stronger than the previous. To my relief and the robot's surprise Frisk was able to dodge every single one of them. During his own turn he also posed causing the numbers to grow even more. I didn't know why he'd need that at all, but decided to just keep watching for now, after all Frisk's hunches during his battles were mainly right.  
Turn after turn their fight looked more and more like a performance, the weapons Mettaton used seemed like special effects for a show. Even I had to remind myself what Frisk was really going through.  
He was dodging almost everything and during those few turns when Mettaton's belt projected an image of a red hovering heart: his energy core, Frisk shot it with a yellow one from his phone. Luckily it didn't actually hurt the robot and his HP didn't lower.

I was proud of how well my brother did, but that feeling soon disappeared. What if this was not his first time? What if he's been through this already? It wouldn't be impossible, as I watched him carefully it really seemed like he knew what the next turn would be. These thoughts lingered in my mind and I let them stay, but knew all too well that I'll never ask him.

Before long all of Mettaton's arms fell off, as a result his attacks slowed down but were stronger than before. After few more moves the legs he was so proud of also broke. Seeing him like that I felt guilty, not only for fighting him, but for everything I previously said too.  
His breathing got shaky, even from here I could see the efforts he made to simply speak. Glancing to his right Mettaton smiled in a surprisingly warm way, a way a simple robot shouldn't have been able to.  
"Oh my! Look at these ratings!" – He said and I looked too.  
The numbers now showed "11252", I still had no idea what exactly those ratings were, but he seemed happy and proud of them.  
"This is the most views I've ever had!" – He continued.  
After a short pause he turned back to Frisk and the darkness around them faded. Soon after the metal doors opened I found myself sprinting into the hall.  
"As you, probably, already know" – I heard his voice still not too close – "I'm quite popular, as I should be, but I'm not as loved. But thanks to you a lot more monsters enjoyed my show, so… thank you, darling"  
As I got there the dim lights in Mettaton's eyes were slowly fading.  
"Are you ok?" – I asked crouching down to his level. He didn't answer, but I noticed confusion and vague mistrust on his face when I began examining him for injuries, even though I knew there were none.  
"I'm fine" – he finally responded, his rough voice mixed with his usual – "it's… the batteries. In a few moments I'll run out of energy and… well, I'll be alright" – he smiled, more comfortable in my company – "knock 'em dead, darling. And thank you, you've been a great audience!"  
Before I could say anything Mettaton closed his eyes and the quiet humming sound in his chest grew silent.

Leaving him like that didn't seem like a good idea to us, especially if we were being followed, but we couldn't really take him too far either. And thus we decided to hide him in the darkest corner of the hall, it was our best bet.  
"Why is he so heavy" – I panted once we were done. Frisk only nodded throwing an arm at Mettaton's unconscious self.

Massaging our shoulders the two of us walked into a red corridor. At the end of it was an elevator. Without much hesitation we walked in.  
The ride seemed endless, but we didn't speak a word, the dead silence around us was only broken by the sound of the Core engine that was getting quieter and quieter by second.  
As time dragged on I could feel my heart pound so strongly in my chest and my Soul getting restless.

I took a deep breath as everything around grew completely silent and the elevator stopped.


	20. The End

As we walked through plain grey corridors, silence was our company, soon a view of a sleeping town opened up. Dozens of grey stone houses were scattered on a steep hill, lights now turned off. Narrow paths twisting through the town lead to ledges and beyond, over hanging bridges, into the darkness. Beyond that colorless layer I could once again see Hotland and the Core, its glow now calming blue. Further away there was the river I knew a boat was on, its surface glimmering quietly under thousands of "stars". For a while I couldn't avert my eyes, the scenery seemed like the last reminder of the home we still could go back to.  
As everything disappeared behind an old stone wall I, for the first time, noticed a neat house we were slowly nearing, it somehow looked familiar. For a moment I froze in place as the blurred memories of an old house in the heart of the Ruins became clearer by second. Though we were too far from that place, it felt as if Toriel will walk out of the door any minute, that I'll see her white figure through a window. At that moment, more than ever, I felt how safe I was with Sans and how vulnerable I felt without him.

The old, dark wooden door opened with a quiet creak. A simple room in shades of brown and beige opened up to us, a familiar staircase by the wall lead down. To the left of it, by a carefully crafted railing, there was a small bookshelf with an empty vase on it.  
Thick layer of dust and stale air around us evidenced that this place wasn't touched in years. With no one around I felt a lot safer, free to look around. Frisk stayed close, as I walked into a long corridor to the right, as if cautious of something.  
Three white wooden doors were lined up before wide windows. Walking through the first one we found ourselves in a small, from the look of it, children's room. Two small beds were by the walls, opposite of each other with a large desk and two chairs in the middle. A wooden wardrobe with colorful children's clothing and a toy chest were in the corner. Two unopened presents were still by the feet of beds reminding me of Flowey's story.  
"This must be their house" – I thought to myself looking around one more time before exiting.

A sign on the second door read "room under renovation". Even though it was locked with no key to open it, I was able to take a glimpse inside. Through a large crack in old, decaying wood I saw a dark room. Vague images of an armchair and piles of books by its side were all I could make out, all the few rays shining though dirty window and a narrow gap could unveil. Few of the books seemed open and I could see strange symbols and writings glow in faint red. Curiosity was taking over, I wanted to get in, to see more, but there was nothing I could do.  
Disappointed I almost missed the last room, though there wasn't anything important, so it wouldn't matter either way. This bluish room only contained an enormous bed, a desk and two bookshelves, titles of those books weren't appealing either, at least the ones I could understand.  
The only item worth examining in the corridor was a large mirror on the wall at the end. A simple object at first glance, but traces of magic were still present in it: it showed ghostly outlines of our Souls. Yet mine was different: still intact with not a single hint of cracks or Sans' crimson magic within.  
Before long we were on our way back, in the distance not too far away I could see a cozy looking room. Shades of red and wooden brown were peeking from under dust and ashes. A long wooden table by the far wall had nothing but a vase on it. In a large bouquet of dry flowers few cobweb strings would occasionally glimmer reflecting the golden light of a small flame in a large fireplace that didn't yet die.

Dusty books, on the shelf to the right, were all about Monster History, some of those were old enough to never mention the Core or Snowdin. The two bottom shelves were filled with various children's books, some familiar to me from the surface.  
A doorway lead from there into a tidy kitchen. Two small shelves with various colorful spices were too high for us to reach. The stove and cabinets were visibly well taken care of in the past. In the tall fridge Frisk found few chocolate bars, but we decided not to take any. Several stickers and children's drawings were on its door, few scribbled words on those were barely readable under grey layer.  
The once cozy house now felt lonely and abandoned, with merely traces of many happy memories stored within its walls.

Quietly we made our way back to stairs, doing our best to leave everything untouched. As we went down the memories of the queen became stronger, yet somehow softer: with no fear or uneasiness.  
To break the growing silence and lighten up the mood, even if slightly, we began to chat about small matters, make silly, lighthearted jokes and it helped a lot, but slowly we grew silent once again as the scenery changed back to the grey town.

A pitch black, stone gateway was at the end of our way, a bright, almost blinding light filled the area once we walked through. Once my eyes adjusted to the sudden change I looked around.  
A long wide hall was before us. Golden tiles covering the floor glowed under strong rays pouring from outside. Massive stone pillars were lined up on both sides supporting the high ceiling.  
Large windows between pillars along one of the walls let in strangely familiar golden light. As we walked forward its warm rays calmly rested on my skin, it looked and felt exactly like sunlight.  
This place was different from what I remembered. Various flowers and other plants found their way through cracks in tiles and walls into warm sunlight: some twisting around pillars, others simply resting under the rays. Few plants covered large areas of the long golden wall and even reached the ceiling.  
In my memories this place was spotless, taken care of perfectly, while the one we found ourselves in looked abandoned. I couldn't help but wonder if the king, or anyone at all, lived in the castle.

A calm, cool breeze from a crack of a slightly open window blew in, making particles of dust dance in its endless flow. Several rare lumps of dust were sprinkled across the hall with few more by the end of it, those were lined up in almost perfect rows close to each other as if making a formation.  
Taking Frisk's hand I lead him around, while not averting my eyes even for a moment. My heart stopped at the thought of who they could've been.  
"What am I thinking? He wouldn't do that" – I thought shaking my head – "Asgore caught them for a reason, he's not stupid to kill them like this"  
The explanation I gave myself was enough to calm me down for the time being. Taking a deep breath I threw one last glance back and exited through a dark gateway.

We walked into complete darkness with only few glimmers of light dancing in the air around us like guides to lead us. Within few moments calm whispers surrounded us, in panic I picked Frisk up trying to keep him as close to me as possible, but soon the fear for his safety faded as the voices became clear. They seemed to be telling a story, one oddly familiar to me, though I knew I've never heard it before.

"A long time ago, a human fell into the Ruins. Injured by its fall, the human called out for help"  
"Asriel, the king's son, heard the human's call. He brought the human back to the castle"  
"Overtime Asriel and the human became like siblings. The King and Queen treated the human as their own. The underground was full of hope"  
Three voices spoke from the shadows, right next to me, yet somehow distant, like from a dream. I listened carefully, let them echo, without making a sound myself.  
"Then, one day the human became very ill. The sick human had only one request: to see the flowers from their village, but there was nothing we could do" – someone said, their voice turning grim – "The next day the human died"  
Silence filled the air as I stopped. I was expecting that to follow, but hearing that aloud felt heavy and bitter, much more than I imagined. But they didn't stop, continued without a moment of delay.  
"Asriel, wracked with grief, absorbed the human's Soul"  
"He transformed into a being with incredible power"  
"With the human Soul, Asriel crossed through the barrier"  
"He carried the human's body into the sunset, back to the village of the humans"  
"Asriel reached the center of the village. There he found a bed of golden flowers, he carried the human onto it"  
"Suddenly, screams rang out. The villagers saw Asriel holding the human's body. They thought that he had killed the child"  
"The humans attacked him with everything they had, he was struck with blow after blow. Asriel had the power to destroy them all, but he didn't fight back"  
"Clutching the human, Asriel walked away. Wounded he stumbled home. He entered the castle and collapsed, his dust spread across the garden…"  
The voices stopped. Though I couldn't see anything, I instinctively looked around waiting for them to resume. Eventually a deep, old voice resonated, a lot calmer than the rest as if used to this process.  
"The kingdom fell into despair. The king and queen had lost two children in one night. The humans had once again taken everything from us" – it said, once again filling my heart with guilt – "the king decided it was time to end our suffering: every human who falls down here must die. With enough souls, we can shatter the barrier forever… It's not long now, you'll soon join the ones before"

As the last echo vanished the darkness faded too and we found ourselves in a large room made of white stone. Walls and ground were crumbling from passage of time, wild flowers, tall grass and few small bushes found their way through dry soil and between rocks, taking over this, at first glance, abandoned place.  
From the middle of this garden rose a tall throne. Within its dark purple shades rested an enormous creature, rays of golden light, shining through the large window on the far wall, revealed his features.

Just like Toriel, he somewhat resembled a goat, pure white fur covering his entire body was mainly hidden under heavy armor and long dark red cape. A golden crown with a red gemstone was resting between long horns, tangled in wavy black hair. His fiery red, yet cold eyes fixed on us, as we walked in, sending shivers down my spine.  
Now that I knew what he's been through, why he had a grudge against humans I couldn't bring myself to hate him. For the first time during the entire day I felt like I could talk to him, reason with him and maybe convince him to let us go.

Putting Frisk down I stepped closer, Asgore only watched me, though I knew it could change at any moment. I had to be careful with my every step and word.  
When I was only few feet away from the beast I stopped and bowed. As seconds passed by and silence grew deeper I regained enough courage to look up. The king now had a puzzled expression, in his eyes I could faintly see traces of curiosity.  
"We came in peace" – I blurted out the first thing that came to mind, something I probably heard in an old movie. Not wanting to make the situation even more awkward for myself I waited, when Asgore stayed silent I continued – "We only wish to see our friends again… Just to live peacefully with them"  
A smirk covered his lips, revealing long fangs – "Of course, why not. The afterlife is the perfect place for it, don't you agree?" – He said, his voice deep with a strange rumble in it that made my blood run cold.  
It was a predictable answer, but I still couldn't think of any respond, didn't have time either. The king stood up, his large body blocked the light casting a dark shadow on me that almost instantly turned pitch black trapping the three of us. As the white figure loomed closer I, in a blink of an eye, found myself between it and Frisk, shielding his small body with my own.

At first I wanted to stop the battle, but realized it wouldn't resolve anything: Asgore would still try to kill us, while in a battle I at least had an advantage. The best thing I could do in that situation was to keep Frisk out of it. Throwing an apologetic glance at him I gathered all the determination I had to seal him out. Once the bright red Soul vanished I turned back, ready for the fight.  
"Human, it was nice to meet you" – Asgore said in a mocking tone – "goodbye"  
Before I could respond his arm lunged in front of him and a bright red trident formed in his clutching hand: its blades were razor sharp with dull shine near the top. I could barely dodge as he swung it at me with incredible speed, leaving behind traces of cyan and orange for a moment before the next attack erased them once again. Without a moment to spare he sent few waves of fireballs my way, each one faster than the previous.  
"Your highness, please stop. I don't want to fight you" – I said and his eyes grew colder – "I understand why you hate us, believe me I do, but not everyone deserves the same. You can find friends among humans… more than you can imagine"  
His next attack was fierce, if not for my barrier I would've been hit few times at least, whether I angered him or his attacks were just that powerful I couldn't tell just yet.  
With every turn the king's magic was getting stronger, scarier, yet somehow more predictable, but despite everything harder to dodge. My knife only phased through the fire and using it against a trident, that was three time bigger than me, was a stupid idea on a whole new level, so in the end I only had my barrier to protect myself with.

Turn after turn I was trying to talk to Asgore, doing my best to convince him to stop, but he didn't answer even once. Unlike other monsters I've fought the only thing I could see in him was the dedication to kill humans, he didn't show anything else.  
"You won't be able to win!" – I screamed and his attacks became clumsy for a moment before resuming at full force – "you've fought against humans before" – I continued coming up with, more or less, tactical explanation – "no matter how strong you get, no matter how desperate and grim the situation turns for them, they won't give up"  
Before I could say any more new wave of attack came my way. Fireballs, larger than before struck me with force enough to push me back few steps, yet not nearly enough to damage the barrier.

Asgore looked furious, it seemed like his red eyes were burning from behind his locks. This was the most emotion I saw in him, I couldn't stop there.  
"You might be able to kill me, you might destroy humanity just like you wanted, that's true, but at what cost?" – I panted, my energy almost gone – "what's the point if you're the only monster to survive?"  
My turn ended, but Asgore remained motionless. For few moments he kept silent, then straightened his back, leaning on his weapon.  
"Why should I care about traitors?" – He said sounding a lot calmer than I expected – "they, not only, let you live, but befriended you as well: the head and second in command of the Royal Guard see humans as their best friends, my judge and advisor is in love with one. My people hid your presence for so long, lied to me" – his lips curled into a wide, eerie grin – "the ones that fell down by the gate would be a great example for others"  
Those words left me puzzled, to say the least. It shouldn't have been possible: to hide a human in this place, let alone for months. It would require secrecy of a huge number of monsters: adults and children alike. Were they scared of Sans and Papyrus, or maybe Undyne? No, that's couldn't be it, fear isn't **that** strong, besides they wouldn't be scared now when the skeletons are captured… did they really love us and cared about us to a point where they'd risk their own lives?  
That thought scared me. I was so preoccupied with my safety that I completely ignored everything else, that blood was on my hands, that's how I felt. I let them die with my ignorance and oblivious ideology.  
As the thoughts grew larger and stronger, clinging on ever part of my continence, Determination in my Soul began to slowly dim. When it was about to cease, in a blink of an eye the desperation turned into anger as my eyes once again rested on the figure in front of me.  
"So you'd kill your own people, because of couple of friends they made? Because he… loved?" – I couldn't find any other words, I might've caused this, I might've played a part in everyone's ill fate, but Asgore was the one to pull the trigger, their own king – "if there's anyone to betray others, it's you. They shouldn't have trusted a monster like you… and I'm not talking about the species"

The king seemed annoyed, but didn't answer, instead he lowered the trident making it fade, along with it did the darkness and colors returned to us. I didn't dare look away as the light shone on the snow-white creature, too confused and skeptical of his actions. Did he just… spare me?  
But soon those thoughts vanished and my questions found their answers as a dark spot in the distance caught my attention. By second it was getting closer, before long it reached the center of the throne room, bright rays resting on its every curve, but its darkness kept growing.

I heard quick footsteps behind me and Frisk's hand holding onto me. It was surprising that _he_ didn't target my brother yet, then again I never really understood him, so this matter too I decided to put aside.  
I stood on guard as his features cleared. He stood straight as the darkness fell like mist, revealing his shoulders, then his cloak. From under long sleeves white matter appeared slowly forming a shape of elegant hands, long slim fingers intertwined in front of him. His head too slowly came into view as the darkness faded a little more. His calm smile was still present as his violet eyes pinned on my smaller self as if trying to spy something within.  
"As expected, I cannot seem to see it anymore" – he said quietly as if talking to himself, but loud enough for me to hear him clearly, then rose his eyes to meet mine – "providing the circumstance I will have to use other methods to ensure the required outcome"  
Gaster slowly rose his hand and I barely managed to put up a barrier before pitch-black magic shot out of the ground around him. Its long, thin threads were twisting in the air, around me and Frisk, like hundreds of snakes bashing and scratching on hexagons, desperate to get through. Once every few seconds they would retreat slightly only to strike with new force, these actions, though different from each other, seemed repetitive, it didn't take much effort to remember the timing. And even though I didn't yet have a chance to strike back, those short pauses let me catch my breath.

"Strange to see you here… professor" – I said hoping to distract him – "you know, outside. Pretty sure you couldn't do it without a Soul"  
"Yes, you are right" – he responded after a short pause – "you see, I am not entirely "outside" yet… The determination you left behind simply allowed me to exit for a little while"  
I wasn't expecting him to actually explain anything to me and it pissed me off, no matter what kind of hints he gave me he knew all too well I couldn't do a damn thing about it.  
He chuckled softly, I didn't give much thought to it, though I doubt anything would've changed if I did.  
Although the next attack wasn't nearly as strong as some of the previous ones, within few seconds my barrier cracked then shattered filling the room with shrill, piercing noise.  
Before I could do anything else the dark magic surrounded me completely. I felt the ground escape from under my feet and a feeling of dread hung over me. As the darkness slowly became transparent I found myself closer to the stone ceiling. Gaster's magic seemed to be working like Sans', but felt cold and cruel, it made me genuinely scared.

Frisk was now standing several steps back, my knife in his hand, but with no one to fight against, Asgore was nowhere to be seen and Gaster, completely concentrated on me didn't even look at him. Even when Frisk tried to attack him, the knife only phased through the monster seemingly unnoticed.  
At that point I was exhausted and each attempt to get rid of those bindings ended in failure driving me closer to the edge of consciousness.  
After about a minute of pointless struggle the silence was broken by quite sound of chains and footsteps: one slow and heavy, other quicker and oddly familiar.  
"Papyrus…" – I called out weakly once the tall skeleton walked in, feeling both revealed that he was fine and terrified of what might happen.  
He stopped for few moments in the doorway and looked at me, surprise visible in his eyes. It soon vanished, but what came to replace it I couldn't see. He didn't seem hurt, except for dark marks on his wrists where handcuffs, connected with a thick chain, were.  
I struggled to free myself when Asgore walked towards my brother, but the bindings around me only got tougher, Papyrus obviously wanted to move too, to follow the king, but something kept him standing.  
"Do not worry, dear" – said Gaster stepping closer to me – "the child will be unharmed" - He sounded so reassuring and if not for our acquaintance I'd believe him without a second thought.

Gaster turned away, pinning his gaze at Papyrus and his smile turned into a smirk. With a swift movement of his hand a canine skull appeared behind my friend: similar to Sans', but smaller and dark grey in color. Almost instantly a violet beam came out of its mouth, barely long enough to reach the throne. A buzzing sound from the skull served as a warning for Papyrus to dodge with almost no effort. I couldn't help but smile widely, hope for his safety growing, but the joy soon left me as barely visible black threads grew out of ground piercing his neck and chest.  
An all too familiar grey dust scattered and for a moment I thought I saw fiery orange semi-transparent traces, like shards of glass, tangled in thick black before disappearing.  
My eyes filled with tears and, for a moment, I couldn't breathe. Anger quickly filled my heart numbing everything else as I desperately tried to reach the monster in front of me with a burning desire to rip him into tiny shreds and I could swear the magic around me weakened for a moment.  
Watching me Gaster looked curious more than anything, strange symbols appeared and vanished around him, each showing for only a split second. I felt helpless, holding onto what determination I had left with all I've got.

A flash of blueish light in the darkness of a far gateway distracted me from those thoughts, a familiar magic I knew I've seen before. Almost instantly a dimly glowing spear was launched at Gaster from the shadows, but he didn't even flinch as it passed right through him, slowly vanishing behind.  
"Be careful" – I yelled when Undyne stepped through – "his magic feels… wrong, don't get caught in it" – I panted feeling my strength leave me a little more – "it will drain you"  
"Got it" - I heard her reply and nodded.  
I finally closed my eyes and thought back to everything and everyone I cared about: Frisk, Sans, Papyrus, Undyne, Alphys, our home in Snowdin and everyone that lived in the town I so loved. I gave my all to hold onto those thoughts, that was my only hope to keep it together. If I gave up, if I let him take my Soul everything would be destroyed. I didn't know how true it was, but as I kept repeating it over and over I felt Determination return little by little.

Even though I concentrated on my thoughts I couldn't block out the sounds of battle, I was scared I'd miss something crucial if I did. Gaster's magic was mainly silent, still I knew when he used it, I felt it stronger than anything before and it disturbed me.  
Undyne's metal greaves were the main source of sound: I could hear her run or jump when dodging or move slowly and with caution when on guard. I could hear her spears launch at her enemy sometimes passing by me, but never too close. I soon opened my eyes again, sure that I'd hold on a bit longer.  
My first instinct was to check on Frisk, his help at that point was immense: with no visible fear he stood up to Asgore, attacked the huge monster in front of him without hesitation. Each hit barely inflicted any damage, but was enough to keep the king busy and away from Undyne.  
I soon shifted my gaze ahead, where my best friend was. Her state wasn't the best, she looked beat up, exhausted, few fresh cuts present on her arms and neck. Gaster on the other hand was perfectly fine, for a while at least, soon his attacks got immensely stronger and impatient.

It wasn't long before she too fell, her magic vanishing into thin air. Somehow I knew it would happen, but it still didn't ease the sharp pain that followed. Even though I knew what the result would be I tried to struggle.  
"Why are you doing this?" – I asked, my voice shaking and weak – "you need… want my Soul, don't you? So let my friends go, please"  
"I told you this before, my dear" – he shifted back to me and I saw amusement in his eyes – "I want a certain quality for _that_ " – he threw a glance at my chest - "you see a human's Soul does not change once outside its host, even if a monster absorbs it. That is why I need to increase your LOVE now, while you are still alive. But do not worry, it will soon be over"  
With a gentle movement of his arm Gaster switched my attention to my brother. I began to wonder what he wanted me to see as for a little while nothing out of ordinary happened, Frisk looked fine, slightly bit up and tired, but fine.  
My eyes widened as Asgore's trident turned from red to pitch-black in a matter of moments before he struck Frisk with it. I wanted to yell, to catch the attacker's attention with something, anything, to beg him to stop, but my voice wasn't fast enough.

Everything happened in a flash: for a split second the area around Frisk turned black taking a shape of a crescent moon, then the stone under his feet dyed red. Asgore reached for the bright red Soul above a collapsed body.  
I struggled, tried to do something to stop him, but my Soul reacted faster and without my control. Wave after wave barriers pushed him further away, breaking into pieces only to pierce him from behind.  
I saw fear and helplessness in king's eyes as he looked at us, probably hoping for Gaster to help him, but the tall monster only smiled at me, like a proud parent: happy about what I accomplished.  
As Asgore's body disappeared and his Soul shattered I felt disappointed. I wanted to drive him deeper into despair, to erase every shred of hope he had left right in front of his eyes. For that I would turn back time over and over again, for the first time I cursed my Soul for not having that ability.

As my eyes once again rested on Frisk I realized I was free to move. With the last strength in me I crawled closer taking his lifeless body into my arms. I wanted to grieve for him, to shed at least one tear, I knew I had to, after all that would only be normal, but I felt… empty. Something dark replaced my compassion clinging onto my Soul and my mind.  
"This had happened before, hadn't it?" – I asked looking up and Gaster nodded – "I see… so it was a revenge, not a pointless slaughter" – I sneered – "not that it matters anymore"  
My eyes were closing and my senses numbing and I knew it wasn't long before I lost the battle, before he took _it_ away from me, but I didn't fight, I simply let myself drift away.

Ice cold fingertips gently traced my neck and stopped at my chest, then I felt something heavy leave my body. Through hazy vision I saw a burgundy Soul hovering in a large snow-white hand, crimson magic flowing from within and disappearing right before reaching the ground. Its cracks were stitched with black, tough looking strings, yet vaguely visible from underneath. I let my thoughts of it go.

I heard a familiar, deep voice, like a distant radio, calling for me.  
I felt a familiar, warm presence, like a fading dream, reaching out to me.  
I tried to remember why I knew it and why it hurt to think of it.

I saw a crimson flame in front of me, before everything faded to black.


	21. But it Refused

It's been a while since Sans heard her voice in that distant recording, long enough for him to start worrying again. He could feel anger fill him at thought of someone harming her and his Soul tremble at thought of… worse.  
Each of his or Papyrus' attempt to escape ended in failure. The dark magic that surrounded their cell was unfamiliar to Sans, but didn't require much of his effort to figure out who it belonged to. None of the skeletons' attacks worked: their magic was drained into nothingness the moment they tried to use it. In the end he had no other choice but to wait, his intent to kill growing by second.

Before long the guard returned followed by the king and Sans stepped back into the shadow, his eyes growing dark. Stepping in, the guard put shackles on Papyrus' wristsa and muttering an apology pushed him out.  
"Where are ya takin' him" – Sans hissed, but no one answered – "where is she?" – He asked trying to hide his fear, the king only smirked and walked away.  
That worried Sans even more, he could only hope that she was fine, that her spirit was stronger than them. Either way he had to get out, now for Papyrus too.  
In the far corner of the cell Sans found an old crushed bone – from what creature he didn't know. He tried to pick the lock with it, but had to stop when the guard once again showed up in the corridor: this time stopping by the cell not far from his. Moments later Undyne stepped out.  
"He really thinks he can handle 'er?" – Sans smirked watching them quietly.  
The guard looked scared and for a good reason: it took a second for Undyne to knock the poor fellow out. A dim glow of a silver key soon caught Sans' eye as shackles on Royal Guardsman's wrists unlocked.

"Hey!" – Sans called out just when she turned around to leave – "Lemme out!"  
"I don't have time!" – She replied – "they already… got to Alphys. I'm not letting the same to happen to the others" – throwing a quick glance down she picked something up and threw in the skeleton's direction – "get out yourself and make it quick"  
Undyne's footsteps soon vanished filling the dungeon with deafening silence and Sans' mind with terror. Hundreds of thoughts raced through his mind while he tried to reach for the keys outside the metal bars. Dark thoughts of her death made it hard to move, to see, to breathe.  
Despite the trembling of his hands Sans managed to find the right key and unlock the cell quite fast. Bolting out he ran through stone corridors, past dancing flames on walls: the only means of light in that rotting place. Gaster's weak, yet strange and unknown magic filled the air, slipping in every crack and between the rocks, it tried to slip into Sans' Soul too, preventing him from entering the Void.  
"Running through this shit is harder than I thought" – he thought already panting heavily.  
Short legs weren't his best trait, but at least they didn't let him fall too hard when he stepped on damp moss. A dull sound of falling weight filled the silence followed by intense cussing.  
Without a moment to lose he took the stairs leading up, his legs were killing him, but he didn't seem to have noticed. Soon he felt her Soul nearby and relief filled his troubled mind. As he reached a well-lit grey corridor and dark magic faded he stepped into the Void for a second to reach his destination sooner, even if only for a moment.

In a wide throne room, under bright rays Sans saw the monster he hated the most. Kneeling down he held a darkened Soul, smile of triumph on his pale skull.  
Before the dark figure he saw her, motionless and weak, life almost entirely drained from her.  
"Sunshine!" – Sans called out, but she didn't respond or move. For a moment he wondered if she could hear him.  
The Soul weakly responded with joy before the last drops of crimson magic fell and LOVE took over.  
In an instance Sans teleported and falling down on his knees held her closer.  
She looked so calm as if was sleeping peacefully under golden rays of an afternoon sun that now looked dull and colorless to him. Leaning closer he kissed her, still warm, forehead then gently carried her and her brother to a small bed of golden flowers near the wall.

Sans stood up, his hands resting in his pockets, and turned to the only other monster in the room.  
Gaster stood tall, his calm eyes fixed on Sans, carefully examining his movements; his dim violet pupils were now outlined by a burgundy layer. Deep in his chest weakly resonated a fading warmth of a powerful Soul. The air, the ground, seemingly the space itself around him occasionally glitched and disappeared in grey static revealing dark depths of the Void. Its traces vanishing a bit more by second made her Soul seem different.  
"I see ya found yerself a buddy" – Sans said in a calm voice, crimson flames burning brightly in his eye – "that means I can kill ya now, doesn't it?"  
A wide, insane grin covered his mouth and his mind got lost in haze. In a blink of an eye rows of red and white bones formed in the air near the floor and ceiling, followed by few blasters. All followed a single target, none reached it; with almost no effort Gaster summoned a barrier around him. He mastered his newfound power sooner than should've been possible, yet there he was: standing proudly, his arm extended in front of him controlling dozens of small hexagons that were moving in perfect sync.

But Sans didn't seem to have noticed, in his broken mind lingered only one thought: to kill he who had taken his light away.  
Violent attacks followed one another with hardly any pause in between. He moved constantly with no visible pattern, appearing in different spots each time or hanging in the air for a split second only to attack before returning into the Void once again.  
"Stop this, boy" – Gaster raised his voice slightly, his usual smile replaced by an angry frown – "you know you can never regain her"

Those words made Sans stop for a little longer - large crimson iris trembling in his eye socket - a mistake that wasn't overlooked by his opponent, one fate wouldn't forgive.  
His eye darted down as he felt black threads twist around his leg, slowly making their way up. He tried to move, but the bindings were too tough, he tried to use a shortcut, but the dark magic was too strong. Putting his hands back into his pockets he stood still, his expression blank, yet his Soul filled with dread ready for Gaster's next move.

Several bones formed in the air launching at Sans: they were covered in numerous small cracks, black threads flowing from within and twisting around the white matter like veins. Few blasters followed, their beams violet with strings of burgundy trapped within.  
Sans barely blocked it all using up great amount of his magic, but more than that it took a toll on his mind: the attacks were different, but he could feel her energy within them.

Blow after blow his defenses dropped, blasters cracked then broke when a sharp pain pierced his Soul. Glimpse of pride showed on Gaster's face, but soon faded into confusion.  
Sans was staring at his hands, waiting for them to turn to dust, but soon noticed that his health didn't go down even by one. It shouldn't have been possible to survive an attack with that amount of LOVE, let alone stay unharmed. It took both of them a while to realize what the reason was.

"She really is a strange Soul" – Gaster spoke with a sigh – "trying to rebel against our rules even now"  
He once again concentrated her determination, made the Soul obey him. With every passing second his grip on it narrowed and Sans' vision blurred, with every drop of red, he could vaguely see, his strength left him just a little more.

 _A lonely Soul lost in darkness trembled, trying to break free. It felt something dear to it disappear, a feeling similar to the one before, yet stronger.  
It tried to fight, but nothing happened.  
It called for help. _

"The hell?" – Sans whispered under his breath.  
Colorful shapes and lines rushed by him, blurry images flashed before his eyes before a vivid one surrounded him. A place he had never seen before showed up. He tried to look around, but couldn't, like on a screen he could only see what was shown to him.  
He was standing in a wide field, rare trees scattered in it thickened in the distance covering the hills with forest. The sun shone in blue afternoon sky, birds were singing quietly, flowers were blooming under bright rays.  
But the view monsters were dreaming about for so long withered under a sinister layer. Countless bodies of soldiers were covered in blood, fading magic still visible in their wounds, grey dust was covering most of the area and flying up with the cold wind.  
The battle was over and survived humans could be seen scattered on the endlessly stretching battlefield: some treated by doctors, others mourning over their friends, but most of them didn't show any kind of emotion, like empty, broken shells.

As the scene changed Sans found himself standing behind a tall man. His golden locks had string of white between them. Heavy silver armor and well-crafted sword, he was resting his hand on, reflected the crimson rays of the setting sun giving this man a strangely comfortable aura.  
Few more humans were standing by that man, Sans tried to look into them, but couldn't see even a single Soul.  
Large figure of Asgore was in front of them, down on one knee, his head bowed. Strangely for himself seeing his king like that didn't affect him in the slightest. The reason wasn't clear for him, he just felt different about everything at that moment, everything but the most important things, ones buried deep within him.

Fading to black once again, the image changed to something he'd rather not witnessed. On top of a mountain, by either side of a large cave entrance stood about a dozen of humans, monsters stepped in one by one. Last one to enter was Asgore, as his large body disappeared in the darkness Sans followed. He was soon facing the grey stone arc again, watching the humans.  
Slight regret in his heart was repressed by a burning emotion Sans felt no more than few times in his life, but now it was much stronger. For the first time in this strange place Sans' senses returned and he didn't know what to do with that overwhelming feeling. It was too confusing and too powerful for him, it made him feel invulnerable as if he could do anything, but stronger than that was the will to do what he was meant to no matter the consequences. Fear vanished and he once again looked forward.

Six people were forming an arc in front of the cave, courage was all Sans could see in their eyes. As they sat on their knees Souls of strange, unseen colors appeared in front of them, before himself Sans saw a hovering light blue Soul, its surface bight with magic more powerful and dense than he had ever seen.  
For a while the humans remained motionless than one after another their Souls parted. Leaving lifeless, empty bodies behind, they vanished giving the barrier different patterns, colors and properties, making it stronger.  
Last one to move was the light blue Soul in front of him, with a light tap it gave the barrier its pure-white form monsters saw today, blocking the world out. Soul's glow dimmed, but unlike the others it didn't vanish. As it moved back into the depths of the cave, so did Sans as if floating near it. Now, for the first time, he saw the Soul's wielder: a young boy hardly twenty years old lay lifeless on the cold stone.

The Soul floated over thousands of monsters' heads, through familiar areas, now dark and empty. After a while it stopped near the center of the cave and slowly floated down towards a small lake and dove into it. As its shape disappeared from view the deep water lit up cyan, first dim then brighter by second.

"The fuck was that?" – Sans muttered looking around the throne room he was now back into where, it seemed like, only a moment had passed.  
It took him few seconds to notice a calm, barely audible melody near him, and even longer to recognize it. Looking down he saw cyan glow shining through knitted fabric, flickering peacefully and singing the tune she so loved.  
Sans knew that with a powerful human Soul he would be stronger, if it was enough to let him win he could only guess. But that was only his knowledge, the way he felt now could tell him more than any research he ever did. He was braver now, more daring as if certain that he won't lose: an overwhelming feeling similar to one earlier. Sans couldn't help but wonder if that really was determination.

Gaster looked confused, he obviously didn't know what had happened and why his opponent wasn't falling. As he noticed the strong presence in Sans his expression turned to anger, before a cold, yet confident smirk covered his face. Despite everything he seemed sure in his victory, after all her Soul was one of the stronger ones.  
Bones and blasters surrounded them and a wave of attack launched at Sans. It didn't take much effort for him to dodge and only after the action he noticed that the threads previously binding him down were now gone. A gentle touch pushed his leg bone, looking down Sans saw the little flower he forgot all about, the one that probably helped him. Flowey hesitated at first, but soon climbed the skeleton's leg holding on his jacket with all his might, careful to not get hit by the endlessly raining attacks.

Just like Gaster's, Sans' magic changed too: the crimson flames around the bones were almost entirely gone, with flickers of it dancing in light blue. Beams from blasters, on the other hand had few traces of cyan, while his own magic glowed brighter. Sans barely ever stood still while dodging or attacking with every opportunity and opening presented. Despite that and the constant teleportations Flowey soon found himself on the skeleton's shoulder.  
"What happened here?" – He asked in a small voice mastering the courage.  
Sans was, more or less, balanced after his Soul 'changed' which was the only reason he was willing to let the little creature near him. Had it happened a minute ago he might've had a difficult time recognizing her friend. Still Flowey's simple question was enough to make him furious.  
"And where the hell were ya?" – He growled, his voice deeper than ever and for a moment the flames in his eye socket outlined black – "ya ran away like a little coward you are and now ya dare to act all innocent?"  
"I… I brought one of the Souls mo… Toriel had collected" – Flowey responded in a whisper trying to hide under the large black hood – "I wanted to help"  
"Help?" – Sans smirked – "help 'er now, see what good it does"  
Finally a bone hit his opponent and his health dropped, the Soul flickered for a split second and Sans felt a fresh wound on it – "he has her Soul" – he said loud enough for the flower to hear as if just remembered it.  
After that they remained silent: Sans too concentrated on the battle and Flowey, too scared and shocked to make another sound, only observed silently.

Both monsters were strong, but Gaster seemed to have the upper hand. He, not only, mastered his abilities almost perfectly, but the Soul in him was, in a way, stronger. It was darker than any other he had previously seen: LOVE higher than the Barrier's fit so perfectly in it as if it was meant to be. Kindness and justice were erased without a trace as if never existed. And now in those empty spots Gaster added his own magic as well as the Void's and the Soul accepted.  
With Sans it was different. Though originally the Soul was much stronger than hers, lack of LOVE made it vulnerable. At the moment it was in sync with Sans' magic, it let the monster use its abilities and life force and helped him willingly, but the only reason for that was her plead and Sans knew it wouldn't last.

Seconds passed turning into minutes and monsters grew weaker, but none was willing to abate, or rather they couldn't. Magic would appear and vanish constantly, filling the room with colorful light and powerful energy that only lingered for mere moments. Occasionally Gaster got hit, but didn't show any signs of injuries, only his expression changed to constant anger and unrest. Sans, however wasn't as lucky: as time passed and his hope faded more, his opponent struck him more and more often. Flowey did his best to heal the skeleton, his magic wasn't strong, but was enough to keep him alive and well. Though Sans hated the power that wasn't hers, he had no other choice but to accept that help.

Sans lost the track of time and was growing impatient quickly. It wasn't long before he noticed Gaster's strange behavior: he looked confused, lost, it took him longer to defend himself.  
"Or is it harder?" – Sans thought as a blaster's beam broke through the dark barrier – "maybe… she's not letting 'im" – the last thought warmed his Soul giving him strength and hope he never noticed as he sent another wave.  
"Are you sure?" – Asked Flowey's voice from behind his skull – "If you kill him, she'll die too. A-and if Frisk ha-hasn't rewound yet, he probably can't… Sa-Sans?"  
But he didn't hear Flowey's last word. He froze in place, his arm stretched out in front of him, shaking. His eye sockets grew empty as the crimson flame flickering in one dimmed then died. Doubt and fear filled him.  
"I have to…" – he said in shaky, weak voice.  
Flowey has never seen him like that, never thought he could look so vulnerable and, for the first time, he felt sympathy towards that cruel and scary creature.  
"She'd prefer that… 'I'd rather break this Soul myself than let him have it', that's what she told me"  
He finished his thought, but didn't move, he told himself he'd end this, but he couldn't shake off the doubt. Hope that he'd bring her back wouldn't leave him, despite his knowledge that it was impossible.  
Gaster attacked him over and over again, but his, now weakened, magic only shattered to pieces or vanished without a trace coming into contact with cyan barrier that Sans never put up.

When Sans came to his senses he found himself full of energy, his HP was fully recovered by the flower, while his opponent was on his knees clutching his chest and gasping for air, fear present in his eyes.  
Without realizing at first, Sans instantly looked into the tall monster, eagerly searching for her Soul: it was still filled with darkness, but easier to find. As it fought back, trying to break free, it seemed to take all of his concentration and strength, it gave Sans the best chance yet to end this.

Holding his hand in front of him Sans snapped his fingers. A large canine skull appeared in front of him, bright magic flowing from its mouth passed right through the 'perfect' barrier Gaster so carefully crafted.  
The Soul cracked, black threads barely keeping it together. It didn't take Sans long to notice it and once he did the skull vanished.

For the first time in years Gaster felt pain, stronger than ever. Clutching his chest he fell, it felt like he was breaking like a fragile vessel. He tried to take back the control over the Soul, nothing happened. He tried to pull it out, to get rid of it, nothing happened.

Quiet thoughts and whispers echoed inside his head, clear as day, but not his own. When he tried to chase them away they only got louder.  
"I won't give it to you, you're too weak, too wrong"  
"you'll pay for what you did to him, to everyone"  
"this Soul could never be your, monster. You knew it all too well, but you still took it"  
"how naïve, how arrogant"  
"now you'll really die"  
The words kept coming, forming more thoughts, mocking him, repeating over and over in a loop: sometimes in order other times chaotic, overlapping each other. They got louder, then stopped suddenly only to continue in a whisper. Inside his head got darker and darker, but he couldn't escape, he felt himself getting lost in it. Gaster's dimming pupils darted from one side to another as he desperately tried to cling to reality with everything he had.  
Golden light shining through the window, calm breeze blowing from somewhere far, cold stone under his fingers and blades of grass gently stroking his hand and bare feet. It's been long since he last noticed it and now it felt so sweet and nostalgic, so peaceful and desired.  
But it all vanished when a thought sounded louder than any other making the darkness return.  
"You wanted this, didn't you? This power, this barrier, this LOVE, but you couldn't control it for even an hour. In the end what was the point, Gaster?"

As the voice died he felt emotions, any monster was well familiar with, build-up in the Soul, but the amount was enough to make him shiver: hate, killing intent, anger. The feelings were overwhelming strengthened with determination, swirling in chaotic storm, trying to break free.  
"Is this the end, my dear?" – He muttered looking down.  
There was nothing else he could do. After all he was a monster, determination wasn't something he could contain…

A violet magic that appeared in his half closed eye socket flowed down his long pale face and stopped on his cheek, crimson dyed its surface as he heard a familiar hum of a blaster. With the last of his strength left he created a barrier, but it refused to protect him. The magic was strong and merciless, he felt his life leave him, this time forever.  
With every breath his magic faded a little more, with every moment threads on her Soul unraveled slightly letting out the horror, making it pure again.  
Before it was too late Gaster threw a glance at his student: a cyan Soul was hovering above his head for a moment before disappearing.

As the last thread was loosened and the last drop of LOVE vanished he felt the Soul pulsate: a barrier formed around it and braking apart spread further away.

He felt himself disappear.

As the dark figure faded and the presence vanished a burgundy colored Soul stayed behind hovering above the ground. Sans took few quick steps towards it, but before he could reach out it began to tremble softly then breaking apart shattered. Glimmering in golden light the pieces froze for a split second before disappearing with a quiet tinkle of a bell.  
"Get off of me" – Sans muttered without looking back.  
As soon as the flower touched the ground he walked away. Passing by a glass container with a pale orange Soul he walked up to a bed of golden flowers. He sat down holding his sunshine in his arms and putting her head on his shoulder closed his eyes.

Minutes dragged on slowly and soon the remaining magic of the cyan Soul began to fade along with his consciousness.  
"I won't be able to do this again" – a little girl's voice suddenly echoed.  
Sans' eyes darted open as he scanned the area, but there wasn't anyone beside Flowey, who was near a window staring at a golden crown, holding it with his leaves and vines.  
Sans hugged her tighter in an attempt to protect from whatever might come, his eyes traveling from one end of the room to another.  
"Please do everything right this time, please free them. I won't be able to help you anymore" – the girl continued, and once done bright red light flashed above the throne.  
Red breaches spread from there like a lightning covering the room in an instance. Yet Flowey didn't seem to notice neither the light nor the voice.

Sans' vision began to blur, through the haze he could only see a, strangely comforting, darkness grow between the red as if the space around them collapsed into nothingness.

Within moments the world went blank.


	22. Old New World

My eyes flew open and I could hear my heart pounding in my chest as I found myself in a sitting position. Before I realized what I was doing my Soul was hovering in my slightly trembling hands: it was intact, with crimson flowers on one side giving out dim light. Seeing it was alright I calming down a bit and looked around: I was on a bed in a familiar, small room, a tornado of books and socks was in front of me. Still confused I grabbed my phone: it was almost four in the morning and the date showed yesterday.

"What's wrong, sis?" – Frisk's sleepy voice pulled me away from my thoughts, my sudden movement must've woke him up.  
"Did you rewind?" – I asked as he rubbed his eye seemingly clueless of what I was talking about then shook his head.  
"You… don't remember what happened either?" – I asked and, again, he shook his head tilting it to the side slightly.  
"What happened?" – He asked.  
"Well, nothing worth mentioning" – I said hesitantly. I couldn't ignore his question after the ones I asked, but I surely couldn't tell him what we really went through, so after a short pause I continued – "we were on our way to Hotland when I woke up here. It's just strange that we went back, while you didn't do anything… Or at least don't remember"  
Frisk didn't reply, probably too tired and confused to process the information I gave.  
"Go back to sleep now" – I said and he plopped back on the pillow – "I'll ask Sans what could've happened…"  
But before I finished the sentence he was already snoring. I let out a shaky sigh and giving my brother a soft kiss, got up.

For a couple of minutes I paced back and forth trying my best to calm my nerves. They killed my brother right in front of my eyes. I couldn't do anything to prevent it and for that I hated myself, but more than that I hated them, him. I didn't want to think that way, but I was happy he suffered, I was happy he died. I didn't want to think that way, but if given the chance I'd torture him again and again for what he did to my little happiness.  
And then, right after that he took it, even if for a short time he was able to get a hold of my Soul and I… gave it. I knew that it was because of increased LOVE in me, but I was sure I'd never give in, I was sure, yet…

As I remembered how it ended my eyes widened and my mind froze on a single feeling: there was someone else, someone familiar. My legs moved on their own as the memory cleared and I grabbed the door knob.

The living room was calm and quiet like during any night. Dim light from decorations of surrounding houses shining through the window and curtains painted three long stripes on floor and couch. It wasn't much, but was enough for me to see a motionless figure sitting on it. His pure white head darted my way as the stairs creaked quietly under my bare feet.  
Leaning on one hand he tried to stand up, but fell right back as I jumped at him. Embracing him tightly I buried my face in the crook of his neck. All the emotions bottled up in me: the grief, the fear, the pain now surfaced through warm tears running down my face.

As his arms held me close to him, his fingers caressed my back and tangled in my hair, as he placed small, gentle kisses on my neck and bare shoulder I felt myself calming down. Soon I felt a lot better, I was protected in his arms and, at that moment, that was all I cared about. I let go of his skull and sat on his lap facing him, then closing my eyes leaned closer. I heard him hum in approval against my lips holding me tighter and all my bad thoughts seem to vanish entirely.  
"I missed you so much" – I whispered as our foreheads touched, my fingertips tracing his cheekbone, his skull and neck. I found myself smiling wider than ever, not able to stop.

But unfortunately it didn't last, not during that night. We talked about what happened, we had to at some point and we figured it would be better sooner than later.  
I told him what happened to me after we parted, all I remembered, to the point when he took it. After that everything was hazy, uncertain, all I knew was that the end came much later.  
Sans filled in about everything that happened after. It wasn't easy to talk about it, but it was something we had to know, both of us.

"I'm still confused" - I said after Sans was done, getting more comfortable in the blanket next to him as he put his arm around me – "who rewound"  
"Wasn't that the kid?"  
"No, I asked him"  
"Wait…" – Sans said after a short pause – "I almost forgot. There was this kid, I didn't see 'er, but she talked to me. Said something like 'this is the last time I can do it', as if I know what the hell she's talking about. Then she did something –I assume it was her- it looked like the world around us was breaking"  
"And how on earth did you forget that?" – I sighed. He only shrugged with a lazy 'I dunno' as if it was nothing.  
"So you think she turned back the time?" – I asked looking at his white pins – "but wouldn't that mean there's another human here, in king's castle too. But that's impossible, we'd know about it, or at the very least the king would, right? And if he did know, he'd take her Soul, but he didn't" – I took a deep breath only now realizing how fast I was talking – "I… I forgot where I was going with it, this is too confusing"  
Sans cracked up with my last sentence, barely holding back to not wake up anyone as he gently pressed my forehead to his grin in pure adoration.  
"There are no other humans down here, sunshine" – he said still smiling like a dork – "I didn't see a Soul. Dunno who she was, but she helped us. Hey, cheer up, maybe we'll meet 'er again"  
With that he put another kiss on my head, as if couldn't get enough of it, and I felt unconsciously drown to him.

"Now about that asshole" – he said with his grin turning from sweet to menacing – "I'll definitely kill 'im this time. No one'll get away after hurting **my** sunshine"  
He was about to get up, ready to go after his target when I stopped him.  
"You don't have to worry about it…"  
"Not worry?" – He cut me off – "he KILLED ya"  
"Sans, he's gone. For good"  
"The kid rewound, remember?"  
"I know, but Gaster existed in the Void. His life wasn't bound to timelines, just like his death"  
"He got himself a Soul, with it he entered a timeline. That's why I could hurt him" - he didn't give up.  
"It was my Soul, it never became his. It's true that he could use it and drew his life from it, but he wasn't 'melded' with it. He put his whole being into something that would never be his and that was his mistake. My Soul made him vulnerable and when it vanished taking away all his magic so did his only way back into the Void. After that he was just a consciousness in a world where he didn't belong or could exist in to begin with"

Silence filled the room. My eyes traveled from my hands to Sans, observing his features.  
"How did ya know all that?" – He asked, a hint of suspicion in his voice.  
"I have no clue what happened in the real world and real time, but I learned what happened in him" – I said trying to find the right words – "I don't exactly remember anything, but when I woke up I just knew. My Soul learned of his fate and when it got back to me it told me too. That's how it feels at least"  
Sans didn't say anything, he gently brushed my hair form my face and tracing his digits to my chest for a short while stared at it.  
"No wonder it felt off" – he said, his voice not louder than a whisper – "your LOVE is increased"  
My eyes darted down and I summoned my Soul: it didn't look or feel any different. Just like before I could increase the LOVE just fine, but it wouldn't go down from a curtain point and it felt natural as always.  
"It seems like the lowest level had changed" – I said hiding the Soul – "I guess it was a fair price to pay for ending this nightmare"

With that we grew silent, it was an unpleasant conversation we both wanted to end. Besides we were only guessing at that point with no way of getting real answers, so we let the matter rest.  
As time passed and the night began to fade I could feel our Souls pulsate in perfect sync as if happy to be close again. For a while Sans was staring at me seemingly lost in thought, but with every small noise he would jump holding me tighter until the potential threat disappeared. After about a dozen of those I moved as close to him as I could and putting my head on his chest wrapped my arms around him as a reminder that I was fine and, even if for a little, his Soul calmed.

I heard a familiar noise of dishes coming from somewhere near and opened my eyes. Papyrus' long shadow could be seen in the pale yellow frame of the kitchen light, it didn't seem like I was asleep for long. I stretched cracking my back, which made Sans twitch and muttering a "sorry" sat up.  
A sudden realization made me jump on my feet and in a blink of an eye I found myself sprinting up the stairs. Practically flying into our room I grabbed one of Sans' empty notebooks and began writing down everything that happened to us as detailed as I could.  
"What's wrong, sunshine?" – asked a deep voice from behind.  
Wrapped up in my work I didn't even hear him come in, yet the door was wide open and he was standing right behind me with his hand lightly touching my arm.  
"I'm forgetting" – I whispered coming to my senses – "everything that happened is fading, like a dream"  
After a short pause Sans went out and bringing another chair sat next to me – "same"

The next few hours I spent writing, with only few breaks in between with some snacks and tea. We put everything together the best we could, reminding each other what was forgotten, I mainly concentrated on Gaster, since the memories of him were fading the fastest. I tried to include everything I saw, heard or felt, going especially detailed about what happened to my Soul and what Sans learned through his 'new' one. Finishing up I made a quick sketch of Gaster that somehow turned out cuter than I intended, and put a little note at the end, for me more than anything – "All this happened. It wasn't a dream. It's not a lie". Closing the notebook I hid it in my bag feeling all the events cover in haze a bit more.

"Sans" – I called out during our late breakfast – "I think it's time for us to get out of the Underground"  
Everyone looked at me in both shock and confusion, forgetting about their food entirely.  
"What?" – I shrugged.  
"How are you going to do that?" – Asked Flowey.  
"And why now? I thought ya liked it here" – added Sans in a deeper, slightly irritated voice.  
"You know how much I love this town, Sans, but you don't. None of the monsters do, they waited all their lives for this chance, we can't just ignore it" – I felt myself getting excited as I turned my gaze to Flowey – "and I do have a plan… sort of"  
"We know that Toriel has human Souls too, if we take one from her we'll be able to break the barrier… You know where they are, don't you?"  
Flowey's eyes widened, he opened his mouth to speak, but not a sound could be heard. I felt bad for him, it probably took him his whole courage to go there last time and now I was suggesting the same as if it was nothing.  
"Flowey, can you… do it?" – I asked softly beginning to regret ever suggesting anything. He looked down, staring into his pot for few seconds then slowly nodded.  
"And, Frisk. You have good relationship with her, right?"  
"Yeah! She's really nice!" – He yelled, wide grin present on his face.  
"So here's my plan: the two of you go there and get the Soul. I don't know how, since I didn't exactly communicate with her, but you need to talk to her, try to convince her. We need them to cooperate with us"  
"Who are 'they', sunshine?"  
"Toriel and Asgore" – I smiled – "while they're getting the Soul and, hopefully, the queen, we should try talking to Asgore"  
"He's not a problem, ya know? I can easily…"  
"Sans, please. Not that" – I begged – "besides if we change his mind he'll lead everyone out peacefully"  
Sans didn't reply and thought Flowey still seemed a bit scared, he and Frisk were ok with the plan overall. For now we decided to use that as a base to come up with a more detailed one.

Almost an hour had passed, but Papyrus wasn't back yet, even though we called him almost immediately after breakfast. Frisk and Flowey were upstairs, playing in Papyrus' room, and Sans was on the couch watching me as I slowly paced back and forth in front of him.  
"Why the hurry?" – He asked – "we could wait, at least till tomorrow, we barely have time to think now"  
"Don't you think we should do this while we remember? I'm worried we might screw something up"  
"It actually crossed my mind too. I'm just a bit nervous after everything that happened"  
Just before he could finish the front door opened with a loud bang muting our voices as a tall skeleton marched in.  
"SANS SAID YOU WANT TO GET US TO THE SURFACE" – he yelled in my face placing his large hands on my shoulders with a wide, beaming smile – "TELL ME THE PLAN, I'M ALL EARS"  
"ya don't have 'em"  
As I struggled to not laugh Papyrus made his way to the couch ignoring his brother completely. I shortly explained what I came up with when Sans' quiet snigger sounded.  
"I just thought of something awesome" – he said, smiling like he just won a Nobel Prize – "we can threaten him. Say that everyone, except him, already agreed to peace"  
"What if he doesn't believe?"  
"Paps and the fish can confirm it" – he said after thinking for a bit, then glanced at his brother – "whatcha say?"  
"I'M NOT GOING TO LIE TO THE KING!"  
"Come on, please…" – I begged taking a step forward with my hands folded in front of my chest, putting the sweetest smile I could – "only one small lie for our freedom"  
"It's not that big of a deal when she put it that way" – Sans backed me up, though obviously grumpy about my actions with his brother.  
Papyrus froze, seemingly, in deep thoughts for a while. When he returned his attention back to us he was already quite happy with Sans' idea and even suggested to talk with Undyne about it himself.

Everything seemed to be going better than I expected, for the beginning at least. The plan was, more or less, solid and in the end everyone was happy with their roles.  
"We still have few hours until nightfall, we should be able to make it" – I said when we, one by one, left the house.  
I repeated the plan in my mind as I followed my friends to the main road: Papyrus was to accompany Frisk and Flowey into the Ruins in case something went wrong. After acquiring the Soul they would head to Undyne and discuss the matter with her. In the meantime Sans and I would head straight to the king's castle, informing Alphis about everything along the way.  
At this point I could only prey for everything to go as planned. As vague as it was we didn't have anything else.

I gave Frisk a big hug before he waved at me and taking Papyrus' hand turned around.  
"Be careful, ok?" – I said as they walked away. The only answer I got was my brother's bright smile and Flowey's small nod.  
"C'mon, sunshine. They'll be fine"  
Looking back I saw Sans' reassuring smile and felt his warm hand wrap around mine. I felt a lot calmer, but didn't dare relax even for a second.  
Soon we left the snow behind and entered dark caverns of the Waterfall. Somehow it was hard to believe that the danger had past, or at least some of it had.  
For a while I watched crystals on walls and ceiling glimmer softly, it let my mind roam freely as peace filled every part of my heart. Occasionally I would glance at Sans, watch his expressions change with his every thought. He pulled me closer at one point and holding my hand in his both gave it a long kiss, I didn't question it, he probably had a lot on his mind.  
We didn't talk much as familiar areas went by one after another. Everything felt so calm and peaceful that sometimes I forgot where we were going.

Without realizing it at first, I began to imagine our life on surface. How Frisk and I would show monsters the beauty of our world, God, there was so much to show I wouldn't know where to start. I thought of how they could build their own little town around and if they did maybe Sans and I would be neighbors.  
I thought about dad, and how happy he'd be learning we came home safe and sound, the images of him flashed in my mind making me excited. But soon the same though frightened me – "what would he think of my friends and… my love?" – I wondered looking and Sans, who was at the moment staring at and poking my hand - something he often did when bored – "what if dad doesn't like him? It's gonna be hard, way too hard, he'd be furious. I won't be able to convince him, would I…"  
I felt scared, lost, for a moment I wanted to give up, to go back and live peacefully in Snowdin with everyone and before I knew it my hand was in my pocket clutching the phone. A wish to stop this, to cancel the plan entirely lingered in my mind. My finger traveled to the thin crack, my nail digging into it with a desire to flip the device open. I let out a shaky breath and tried to chase away those thoughts: I couldn't be so selfish, I didn't want to. "Me and Sans have been through worse, we'll be able to make this work. I just need to be braver" – I kept repeating this to myself like an enchantment.

"So I wanted to ask ya" – Sans said letting go of my hand as he began to align lily pads across a small waterfall – "what does determination feel like?"  
For a moment I stared at him, all my previous thoughts left my mind and before I knew it both my hands were around my pendant, shifting the crystal between my fingers as I tried to find the right words.  
"I guess…" – I began as Sans took my hand once again leading me over pure-white flowers – "my mind doesn't let me give up. Whatever consequences there might be, it's not scary to face them. It feels like if I keep trying I'll be able to do whatever I set my mind to, the strange part is I genuinely believe it. Does it make sense?"  
Sans' white pins were locked on me as he listened, curiosity and slight surprise was all I could read in them.  
"It does" – he nodded – "didn't think it was so simple… Ya know, I felt something when that other Soul was in me. I guess it was like what you said, but at the time I didn't understand it well" – for a moment he stopped watching few more lilies sprout, when he spoke again his pins were dim – "sunshine, how do you handle it?"  
He sounded… scared. I opened my mouth to speak, but shut it almost immediately. Needless to say I never thought about it, never considered it a problem.  
"I don't" – I finally said when the Wishing Room was left behind us – "It's something natural for my kind, it never bothers me, it gives me strength more than anything. It feels right, sometimes I search for it myself, sometimes I need it desperately. I think it's similar to your magic, you don't have a trouble knowing what to do with it"

My rambling suddenly stopped when Sans squeezed my hand and our surroundings faded into black.  
"We'll be out soon" – he promised in a soft voice – "we just need to get across the river"  
Without looking away from the darkness I nodded and took a step forward holding onto his arm with both of my hands.  
The Void felt a lot less dangerous and chaotic, something I never noticed before, the trouble I used to feel was now gone. The uneasiness that was still present was due to my unpleasant memories: I knew that, but I learned that Gaster became the way he was because of the Void and that was unsettling, to say the least.

To my relief it really took a short time and before long we were on the long crooked bridge I haven't seen in a while. I felt excitement fill my heart and a wide smile spread on my lips when I remembered what awaited us on the other side.  
I only realized that I was humming the melody to myself when I heard Sans' grumpy mumble - after he found out it belonged to another Soul he got angry whenever I mentioned it, so I decided to stop, at least for now.  
But the joy flushed into me stronger when I heard its first notes and saw the cyan glow on a cave wall. Soon I could see the water and could only guess how much my face was beaming.

As we walked past the lake I watched it carefully. It looked the same, but now I could see and feel what before never notices or simply didn't look for: with every ripple formed and halted the glow dimmed or flickered slightly before brightening again and with each change the energy emitted from it changed as well.  
"It really does resemble a Soul" – I thought looking forward as we entered another shortcut – "always uncertain"

It wasn't long before we were far from the lake once again, silence was only broken by our quiet footsteps, a calming tranquility as my companion.  
As we walked through long corridors and wide halls I couldn't help but endlessly observe everything I grew to love as if it was the last time I saw those glowing paths and heard quiet whispers of blooming flowers.  
The lantern room was completely dark when we walked in. I, almost instantly, stepped closer to where I remembered the first lantern to be, but Sans pulled me back.  
"I know the way, c'mon" – his deep voice sounded from seeming nothingness.  
I tracked behind him, his hand my only guide. Subconsciously I got closer to him with every step and soon could feel the fur of his hood on my neck, could hear his calm breathing and feel his Soul stronger than before.  
The more I concentrated on him the safer I felt and even when light surrounded us once again I didn't look away.  
"How are you doing that?" – I muttered under my breath almost too quietly and only when he looked at me I realized that it wasn't a silent thought.  
"Doing what?" – He raised a brow. _Well, can't turn back now_.  
"Whenever you're near" – I said looking down – "or reassure me in the simplest way I feel so much safer and calmer. It's s…soothing"  
I felt my cheeks heat up more with every word and for some reason I couldn't clear the uneasiness in my chest. He probably… no definitely knew about it already, but I never talked about it before and now it proved to be hard to put in words.  
For a while he didn't say a word and it made me nervous. When I looked back up at him I found a wide triumphal grin on his face, while his eyes emitted joy. He never answered me and I figured there wasn't much he could really say.

As Alphys' lab came into view it was hot enough for me to take off my purple jacket followed be the sweater that I put in my bag. I wasn't exactly fond of constantly changing my clothes, but there was literally nothing I could do about it.  
The Lab was empty when we entered, with only few lights still on. I wanted to call her, but Sans stopped me, said it would be better to talk further down, away from unwanted ears. Finding the scientist wasn't hard, even for me, since she mainly worked in a couple of rooms.  
Alphys greeted us with a wide smile and, just like everyone else, completely oblivious of the previous timeline. We already knew she was aware of other timelines and was smart enough to suspect us were we to hide something from her.  
Hesitantly we told her the main events that occurred, trying our best to sound softer: I knew how much she loved and respected the previous scientist and Sans held back for my sake. Alphys' expression shifted with every deed we mentioned: from fear to confusion, worry or sadness. I was surprised and, in a way, admired how well she could hold out.  
"I heard he was kind and caring once" – I said vaguely remembering what Riverman told me not too long ago – "he became like _that_ because of the Void, though I have no idea how. My point is: he wasn't an evil person, everything that happened wasn't entirely his fault"

With my words her eyes softened and she gave me a slow nod. Although I said that as a means to cheer her up I had a feeling it was, in a way, true. I wanted to hold onto that, I wanted to write it down: to mention that he had humanity in him once.  
Holding the notebook in one hand I reached into my bag, searching for something to write with.

"What's the holdup, sunshine?" – Sans' voice sounded from few feet away and my eyes rose up to meet his own – "let's go"  
"I'm coming, I was just looking for, um… I forgot" – I sighed putting the few items I had in my hands back – "later, I guess"  
I quickly followed Sans and we soon caught up to Alphys who was on her way up.  
"Go straight to the castle, I'll activate the elevators for you guys, I think they had enough time by now" – she sounded a lot better than before and I hoped she felt that way too – "I already told Mettaton to leave you alone"  
"He listened?"  
"He doesn't have a choice"  
"Nice"  
"I'll make sure everything goes fine in Hotland. Good luck with Asgore" – She added slightly louder before the metal doors of the Lab closed behind us.

Just like Alphys promised all six buttons on the elevator panel were glowing dimply indicating the presence of power between all floors. Pushing the last button I turned around.  
"Sans, what's wrong?" – I asked unconsciously tilting my head to the side.  
He chuckled at that and putting his hand on my cheek traced its surface with his thumb so softly, I melted into his touch. But his smile soon dropped as he pulled me into a tight hug as if I'd disappear if he loosened his grip.  
"I was so scared" – he whispered almost like to himself – "It hurt so bad, but I couldn't do anything about it, couldn't bring you back. God, I'd give anything to bring you back…"  
I didn't know what to say, I couldn't even guess what he went through, maybe like with my mom? But even those memories were blurred.  
"It's ok now. I'm here, I'm not going anywhere" – I said gently rubbing his back, something I knew would've helped me. Soon the faint trembling in him vanished and his breathing got even. I felt his mouth form a small grin as he buried his head in my neck.

"Kinda disappointing, isn't it?" – He asked when we stepped out of the elevator taking my hand – "we did so much and now it seems like it never happened. Don't get me wrong I'm happy I got ya back, but it feels like all we did was a big failure"  
"In a way it was" – I said my eyes fixed forward – "but I've been thinking about it and I don't think we could've done better, not with the amount of time and openings given to us"  
"Why's that" – Sans raised a brow.  
"None of us could hurt him, while his magic worked on us perfectly well: that's a huge advantage to say the least. So the only way to defeat him was to let him absorb a Soul and we both know he wouldn't take just any Soul" – I looked at him and at that point he looked upset – "As wrong as it sounds I had to die in order to get rid of him. Just like it was necessary for other to… So my Soul was 'right' for him"  
My voice got quieter as I talked, but I made sure he heard it all, I just wanted someone to hear my thoughts, to assure me I wasn't completely wrong or crazy. He never answered and I didn't blame him for that, I'd probably stay silent too.  
Thinking about it, it really was a lot to do and endure for a single guy, but it was over now, we managed somehow and that was the most important.

I let out a sigh looking forward: the Core was now in front of us, aqua blue light filling the empty space. Our ride to its top was silent and slightly tense as the end was nearing. A shiver ran through my body and before I had time to do anything Sans was shoving my sweater on me.  
Corridor leading into the dark hall where Frisk encountered Mettaton in and the one after that were empty and the second elevator: in perfect working order. Shortly the noise of the Core died out, I tried to fight back, but the memories of past timeline took over and fear filled me again for God knows which time during the day. Taking a step to the side I held onto Sans' jacket: a childish act I couldn't hold myself back from. I didn't let go on our way through the grey corridors and Asgore's old house.  
The golden hall was just like I originally remembered: taken care of perfectly, spotless with not a single crack in stone. I wondered if Gaster had anything to do with the changes in that place. The thought disturbed me a little too much and I held onto my lover tighter and soon found myself humming the sweet melody of the Cyan Soul.  
In front of a large black gateway Sans stopped.  
"From here on stay behind me" – he smiled at me – "I don't know how exactly he'll react"  
I nodded and did as he said, although I wanted to do everything in my power I figured it's be wiser to listen to someone who has worked for the king the most.

A short crooked corridor was present after the golden hall, one I figured was completely dark last time. I knew I couldn't show any weakness facing the king and, somehow, I was able to make myself feel like that. My worries and fear dropped to none when a familiar, yet different form of the Throne room appeared around us. Four pillars stood high in all corners, I only now realized that three of those were completely crushed last time. Only few blades of grass and rare colors of hidden flowers were visible near the walls: the only remain of overgrowing flora that ceased to exist way easier than it should've been possible. White and light grey stone was covering the floor and walls, rare grains of sand were sparkling like silver dust under bright rays.

Asgore was on his throne, his head resting on a large white hand. He looked, somewhat tired with his eyelids half closed. As his red eyes rested on Sans his expression warmed and a hint of a smile appeared on his lips for a moment before disappearing as he noticed my smaller form hidden behind the skeleton. His gaze travelled between the two of us, confusion present in it, then froze on me and the large monster smirked.  
"Did you finally come to your senses?" – He laughed and standing up stepped closer – "my order was to bring me the special Soul, I hope this is it"  
"Heh… she's special alright" – Sans breathed out half amused – "but ya should slow down, majesty, I ain't giving her to ya"  
"That's unfortunate. But I'm surprised you showed yourself in front of me like this. You should've known better"

As the king loomed closer I locked my eyes on his trying to read them. While his expression was close to empty it clearly contained anger and… pity.  
Raising his arm he clutched his hand around red magic and taking one last step swung the still forming trident at us. Leaning closer to Sans I whispered – "I got this" – he nodded with a chuckle.  
In a blink of an eye the weapon shattered in more pieces than I cared to count, yet only few hexagons were floating between us. I didn't need to be an expert to know that my barrier got tougher at least tenfold, it was easier to control it too, I didn't want to admit it, but knew that Void's magic that Gaster injected made it this way.  
Asgore took a step back: dumbfounded, even scared. It seemed he recognized it, but had no idea he'd have to deal with it, while last time he wasn't surprised in the least.  
Sans and I looked at each other for a moment, slightly surprised, but satisfied by this turn of events. It seems the element of surprise worked in our favor, now we could use it to, for the time being, ensure our safety and, if we got lucky, to further our plan easier.

"Ya can't do shit to us" – the skeleton chuckled turning back to Asgore – "so how about we talk? Besides we kinda doing you a favor here, I've seen someone try to control a Soul, wasn't a pretty sight"  
"You knew about these powers?" – The king raised his voice, eyes wide in shock – "And you still protect it… Ignorant fool"  
"What's the problem?" – Sans shrugged – "wouldn't you protect your wife?"  
"Was that a proposal?" – I whispered half-jokingly.  
"Sure, why not, sunshine. But you'll have to wait until we're done here"  
I couldn't tell if he was joking, didn't know if it mattered at all, despite everything my cheeks were probably deeper red than I'd like to admit. Hiding my face in back of his neck I heard him laugh.  
"Didn't know you were already this serious about me" – he teased, his voice obviously too cheery.  
I didn't make a sound, he'd probably continue if not for the situation we were in. To my relief I was left to my thoughts, pondering why in Heaven's name I said something like that and, of all people, about a guy I've known for, no more than, few months.

Through endless flow of new thoughts and images I could hear the king's voice. How he was telling about the ancient magicians and their unique Sous, how they differed from other humans. Then he addressed me in a different manner and his voice echoed in a darker tone.  
"I was mistaken. I thought she was one of them, but she's something that never should've existed. One of the creatures humans used to fear more than monsters, they used to call demons like her 'dark ones'. She'll ruin you, Sans. Just like her ancestors ruined humanity…"  
I felt his hand slip out of his pocket and reach forth, followed by strong magic, I could feel anger flow through it.

My head shot up and I saw Asgore up in the air, cloaked in crimson magic. He was trying to fight back, struggling to break free, but all his attacks vanished clashing against my barrier. The light around the three of us dimed and flickered trying to break through the magic, but was absorbed right away.  
It took me few seconds to come to my senses. When I did I quickly moved standing between Sans and Asgore. As much as I'd like to be the hero, I was doing this for myself and Frisk. I still needed the king, so this had to stop. I held Sans' head with both my hands fixing his blazing crimson iris on me.  
"Please, let him go" – I spoke softly.  
"I don't think so. Ya heard what he said" – as his voice echoed I heard a deep roar within: strong, strange, scary. It made a chill run down my spine, but I didn't show it.  
"Those are just words, nothing more" – the rest I said in a whisper – "we need this to work"  
I heard something large fall behind me and the crimson magic slowly dimmed. As I turned to face Asgore the skeleton's hands wrapped around me pulling me closer.  
"Does she look evil to ya? She's brighter than this whole damn place"  
"And she blinded you" – Asgore laughed mockingly – "though your act wasn't bad you should've come up with something more original"  
"Enough already! Do you really think your son would've appreciated this?" – I snapped at him and the words flew out before I could stop them. Sans' eye sockets were devoid of light, few sweat drops forming on his skull, that was more than enough for me to understand: I said something I shouldn't have, but there was no turning back. Clutching on Sans' arm I put on the most courageous look I could master and spoke with confidence – "he gave his life in order to avoid the war you're giving your all to start"

Asgore rose slowly with each word, the red glimmer of his eyes was barely visible behind thick layer of black hair, but scared me nonetheless. His whole being looked dark and dangerous to me, like a being straight from nightmares. If not for Sans I'd probably be shivering in the corner, crying.  
"I really hoped we could be friends, you know. I still do" – I said a lot calmer – "I believe we're similar: humans and monsters. I know we can live peacefully together"  
"Yeah" – nodded Sans and Asgore's head shifted faintly towards him – "you could say we've been testing it for a while now… the whole village adores them"  
The king remained silent, but I noticed his muscles relaxing, his firmly clutched fists opening slowly. Could this be working?  
"You'd never understand…" – Asgore whispered with a slight tremble in his deep voice – "you don't have a child yet. Pain of losing a son isn't something your naïve ideology can ease"  
"I do understand" – I said surprisingly calm.  
The king raised his head to look at me, and only then did I realize that he was listening without trying to kill me on spot. Whatever miracle happened, it allowed our first move to succeed, now we had to convince him. Easier said than done, but there was no turning back, we had to do our best.  
"For most of my life and all of his I took care of my little brother. Besides being his sister I was both a mother and a father to him, at least I tried to be. If something happened to him, or, God forbids, he was killed I would be raging just like you, heh… maybe worse, but I'd be grateful if someone stopped me from doing what you're about to do"  
Silence filled the room, but this time it was a calm one. King's eyes were traveling from me to, widely grinning, Sans and back, before pinning to nothingness behind us as he got lost in thoughts. I didn't dare make a sound, not at first, but my curiosity got the best of me. Turning around I faced Sans, whose arms moved behind me, just to wrap themselves around my waist more comfortably.  
"What's with his majesty?" – I whispered as quietly as I could.  
"He spaces out quiet often when he thinks" – he shrugged – "don't worry, sunshine, that means he liked what you said"

As we waited, staying quiet became harder, soon we started to chat as quietly as we could and luckily it didn't disturb the king. I wasn't expecting it, but Sans began asking questions related to the surface, concentrating mainly on weather and the storms. I was in the middle of describing a thunderstorm to him when Asgore's voice broke us out of the comfortable little world we created around ourselves.  
"You're a strange one" – he said with a barely visible smile that disappeared in a moment – "you believe we can live together, what made you think that"  
The question was expected, but I still took my time choosing every word with care. Whether this was a trick question or a genuine one I couldn't know, his motives were never clear to me, but none of that actually mattered: either way my answer could change everything for good or bad. I glanced at Sans one more time before I stepped forward and began to speak.  
"Because I lived with humans all my life. We're not the best creatures of the world… we're quite far from it actually, but now more than ever, with every bad or wrong act there's a dozen of good ones. We start wars, but so many more of us save lives. It seems like we're the only creatures that has actual evil in us and compared to monsters we're too chaotic, but I guess that's what letting us overcome that evil: we're too unpredictable even for that. At the end of the day while we screw up on our every turn we, somehow, manage to create a lot more good on the way"  
"If the monsters come out now they'll find a lot more allies than you can imagine"

"How will we do that?"  
"We have a way"  
"Can you guarantee our safety?" – Asgore asked coldly. In a way it felt like he was scolding me.  
For a moment I froze. I realized how naïve and dreamy it all sounded. I firmly believed what I said, but it wasn't a proof, it wasn't something a king could accept on behalf of his people.  
"I can't" – I shook my head slowly, my eyes pinned to his as excitement in my heart slowly dimmed.  
"What are you saying, sunshine?" – A voice brought me back to reality and I felt a firm hold on my shoulders – "ya said it yourself, we need to convince him"  
"But I really can't. Like I said, humans are chaotic. I… I didn't lie, you know, I believe that your kind will be fine, but there's always a risk"  
"When you go out there it's not gonna be a case of "monsters are free, humans are happy", it's gonna be hard. The darkness is still somewhere within us and some don't fight it. There are gonna be those who'd be scared of you, hate you, some might try to send you back and allies won't be easy to come by, mostly because they'd be scared to speak their mind. That's how it always is: a mass of people yelling their opinion without a break and it seems like there's no hope for whatever they're fighting against, until the quiet part rise. In our case the actions and words of the king would decide whose side those people will take. Humans are going to watch your every move, some hoping for you to make a mistake"  
"I can promise to always be by your side, to be the first human to speak up for you and help the monsters any way I can, but I cannot guarantee you anything. After all your actions would determine your people's future more than anything"

I talked a lot more than I intended to, I said what was on my mind and honestly I didn't know how he'd react. Though, strangely enough, every possible outcome playing in my mind was full of hope and optimism.  
Sans was now standing next to me, still cautious of his king, but he looked a lot calmer. The white pins floating softly in his eye sockets and his grin widening or dropping slightly, as nameless thoughts raced through his mind, were my only safety here, watching them I felt myself relax, yet always kept my attention on the huge silhouette in front of us.  
It felt like a while had passed, when clock's hand traveled mere seconds. I jolted slightly grabbing Sans' hand as a loud laughter filled the room; a genuine and warm one. Strangely, it seemed like his voice wasn't used to it.  
"I like her" – Asgore spoke straightening his back – "I'll think about what you said, miss, now go" – he turned around to sit in the throne once again, closing his tired eyes.  
"You will?" – I raised a brow, still not fully believing what he said.  
"Didn't you come here to negotiate?" – The king asked cracking open one eye – "as a representative of humanity"  
"I did" – I nodded slowly, before Sans lead me to the entrance.

"What just happened?" – I muttered as we stepped out, my eyes still fixed on the blackened arc behind us. Hearing Sans chuckle I turned my head to him.  
"The thing is" – he began pulling me gently as he made his way back through the long corridor – "he was sick of this war for a while now"  
"So he tried to kill me, that's perfectly logical, please continue"  
"So when ya offered him a peaceful way to end it" – he said rolling his eyes at my comment – "on top of that you kinda proved your point: showed him how humans can be now, so he decided to try"  
"What do you mean, what did I show?"  
"You're so strong, but so careful when you need to be, as a person I mean. You can be ruthless in a fight, but spare and show kindness in the end"  
He then smiled at me as his fingers brushed away few strings of hair from my face. Smiling wider he placed his hand on my cheek, rubbing it gently.  
"And my top favorite: you're so brave and confident, but once with me you're just the cutest little sunshine"  
"I doubt he knows about it" – I felt a faint blush on my face at the word "cute", strangely enough that was the first time he actually called me that.  
"I told 'im after you stayed with me a while"  
I opened my mouth, but no sound came out, shock and disbelief made me stare at him, trying to understand if I heard him right. He told the king about me? The guy we were trying to avoid the most?  
"You told… wha… why?"  
"Couldn't resist. But hey everything worked out, didn't it?"  
"Worked out? What if we… my phone is ringing. Why is my phone ringing? I thought there was no connection here. Hello?"

"Sis, we got the Soul! Aunt Toriel was really nice and gave it to us. She made some really yummy pie for us too, I'll teach you" – Frisk's cheerful voice sounded from the other end.  
"That's really nice, but our plans changed a bit. Let's meet back at home and talk this over"  
"Is something wrong? Hold on, Paps wants to talk to you"  
"HUMAN! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE? FRISK LOOKS WORRIED, DID YOU MESS UP?" – Papyrus yelled causing me to pull the phone away from my ear.  
"Calm down, big guy. Our chat with his majesty went better than we expected, so there's no need to continue our plan"  
Papyrus yelled something about us doing a good job and hung up before I could respond.  
"Shortcut?" – Asked Sans holding out his hand.  
I nodded taking it and intertwined my fingers with his. He took a step and the darkness returned, but this time it was calmer than ever, it almost felt like a friend.  
It took us a while to cross, since we were pretty far away, but I barely noticed it as the two of us chatted the entire way and before I knew it we were by the front door of our lovely house. Frisk, Flowey and Papyrus were already back, waiting for us.

Sitting down on the couch I noticed how drained I was both physically and mentally after this long day. Frisk immediately climbed on my lap, Flowey: on my face and skelebros sat down on both sides.  
In the corner, near the stairs there was a glass container, the Soul in it was almost white, but I still could see red in it.  
"What's with that?" – I asked.  
"It seems like this one lost its trait. That's what happens when a determined Soul gives up" – Sans' voice echoed in silence and my gaze fixed on him for a moment before I looked away.

 _Sans didn't need to look at her Soul to see the confusion in her turn into sadness upon his words as she held her brother a bit tighter, while the kid looked back with a bright smile, one that she seemed to love the most.  
As the discussion of past events distracted her that feeling in her Soul became distant and dim, but didn't vanish completely. _

"So Toriel decided to stay behind, even though she supports our idea of peace?" – I asked after Papyrus finished their part of the story – "though I must say, it's a bit hard to believe after she almost burned me"  
"She did what?"  
"Shut up, Sans, you tried to kill me too"  
"She said she was… sorry about it. She felt really horrible after killing humans and collecting two of their Souls, so after a while decided to protect them instead" – said Flowey in a small voice – "but, for some reason, she thought you would hurt others, so she wanted to stop you"  
"THE QUEEN NEEDS TIME TO THINK. ONCE OUT SHE PROMISED TO VISIT" – Papyrus sounded excited. I assumed he like her, that was a good sign in my book.  
"Marvelous. So what now?"  
Silence hung above us. There really wasn't anything left to do, but wait…  
Frisk's stomach growled reminding us that dinner time had long passed and the night was nearing. We quickly made some sandwiches and ate almost everything with a nice cup of tea before heading to bed.  
Just in case I put up a barrier around our house, making it as strong as I could, and only told Sans about it who approved of my idea.  
I fell asleep almost instantly, my arms wrapped around Sans, my head resting on his shoulder. If felt safe and just right, like there couldn't be any other way.

For few months we hardly ever heard from the king. He summoned me several times, but never mentioned anything about surface or his decision regarding that. Each time he spent simply talking to me, telling stories or asking for my opinion about small matters bothering him. It seemed like he was trying to get to know me as a person or a human being, I couldn't tell. Or maybe he simply needed someone new that would listen to the rambling of the old king after centuries of his seeming solitude.  
I did my best to leave a good impression on him, but as time passed I started to actually enjoy his company.  
Just as promised, Toriel visited too. She didn't like me as much at the beginning and, in turn, I was wary of her. I tried to show her the nicest parts of me and even managed to hold off of sarcastic comments and straight up, making fun of the little mistakes she made, since Frisk said she didn't like those kind of jokes.  
But it wasn't long before the queen softened after seeing my relationship with Flowey, all my friends and the Snowdin folk.  
She seemed to be staying in palace and that's all she cared to say about her accommodations, we didn't ask more. She visited frequently, mainly to see Frisk or "her child" as she called him, a title that gradually passed onto me too.  
As she opened up more I could see the mother within her wake up and seeing her gentle eyes and hearing her warm voice I couldn't help but remember my own mom. It was comforting in a different way from Sans or anyone else, she provided a special type of protection I longed for from before I could remember.

"Hurry up, sunshine" – Sans' voice came from downstairs – "everyone's ready"  
"Coming!" – I yelled back staffing my notebook into the bag. As much as I hated it, I didn't remember what happened with Gaster on that erased day anymore, all memories had vanished little by little. Everything I knew was from my writings, all I remembered was my belief that it wasn't a story I came up with, the same was for Sans.  
Letting out a sigh I chased away those thoughts. I petted Flowey's head, peaking from between strands of hair, as he looked at me with concerned eyes and putting on my purple jacket stepped out. Two monsters and a human looked up as the door closed behind me.  
"Sorry guys. I'm ready" – I smiled running down the stairs. It was hard to hide my excitement, though I hardly even tried.

It was getting dark when we headed out into the town. That afternoon king Asgore declared peace with humans as well as announced that the barrier would be broken that very day. The entire Underground was excited, there were no monsters around who weren't getting ready for their short, but long awaited adventure. Everyone seemed to have forgotten their hatred towards the cruel creatures from surface and that made me more than happy.  
The king approved of my idea of a monster town and though we knew that it would be, at least, months before they actually start living there, but for now they'd be able to enjoy the fresh air of the mountains and woods, the gold and silver of sun and moon, they'll finally see the sparkle of countless stars.  
As we walked to the boat and through our journey on it Frisk and I tried to describe the night sky, how vast and beautiful it was and mystery it filled us with, but couldn't find the right words. Papyrus was the one who asked about it, but as expected didn't understand much from our rambling.  
"You'll see it tonight" – said Frisk when we finally gave up.  
"Yeah. It would be better to wait" – I nodded.  
"Is there a river on the surface?" – Riverman's quiet voice echoed after a short silence.  
"There's a small one nearby, actually" – I said smiling to myself. It was cute how he thought of his river even now. In a way it also showed that he too was enthusiastic, after all this was the first time he started a conversation.

The red shore of Hotland soon caught my eye and I felt excitement build up in me a little more. As I stepped out of the boat a large, cold hand gently touched my, now bare, shoulder.  
"Good luck" – a deep voice sounded from under Riverman's seemingly empty hood.  
For the first time he looked at me directly, his form looming high above me. For a split second I thought I saw a dim glow of a calm gaze.  
"Sunshine" – Sans called out breaking me from my thoughts.  
I realized I was staring at the tall monster, trying to see past the black that was hiding his face. I smiled brightly at him remembering his words and muttering a small "thank you" followed my friends.  
We barely talked on our way through familiar areas between elevators, in deserted halls of the hotel and the Core. Each of us was completely lost in our minds, entwined in thoughts and ideas.  
As for me: I could only think of dad. It was long enough for him to hear the news of our disappearance and I wanted, more than anything, to ease his mind. I wanted to hear his voice and see his goofy smile again. I missed his tight embrace and his large scarred hands patting my head as he put a single kiss on my forehead each time we met or had to part.

When my eyes rested on golden shades of a wide hall my heart picked up pace. Unconsciously my hand darted to my chest in a futile attempt to calm it, while the other one fished out Sans' boney hand from his pocket, gripping it tightly: a gesture he returned with pleasure.  
In less than few minutes we were greeted by the king and his queen, the head of the Royal Guard by their side: smiling wider than ever at the arrival of her friends.  
Rising from his throne Asgore stepped close with a warm smile on his lips.  
"I'm glad you are here so soon" – he said – "Tori had told me you have what is needed to set us free"  
With those words his eyes rested on covered container in Papyrus' hands – "I trust you are ready"  
Frisk nodded with enthusiasm taking the large monster's hand… his finger, to be exact and the rest of us followed.  
Walking out through the exit behind the throne we found ourselves in a small room, light barely illuminating the center of it. To our right there was a long hallway: one side of it covered with strange glyphs and symbols. By the end of it there was a large stone gateway, the crest of the Kingdom on top of it. Stepping through Asgore stopped.

Around us was a long cave, walls uneven, cracks covering all surfaces around us. In, no more than, a couple of feet before us I saw it, I didn't need and introduction to know what it was, the answer was so clear to me.  
A transparent matter filled the space, shifting the image of reality differently at every angle like broken glass, milky white cracks spreading through it seemingly merged in the distance.  
A strange light filled the room. Deep in the cave dim light was shining through the barrier.

At that moment I couldn't see anything else, I was completely absorbed in the Barrier. Taking a step forward I reached for it, my fingers tracing its perfectly even and smooth surface: it was so powerful and strange, yet so dear to me. In a moment my hand darted back and I held it with my other as I glanced at my friends.  
"This is not just a barrier" – I said in a half whisper – "those are Souls…"  
"What do you mean?" – Toriel's voice was worried. By the looks of it neither she nor Asgore knew about this.  
"This Barrier, or whatever it is, it was created from the magician's Soul, the entirety of them. Breaking this will destroy those Souls, the ones used would break as well… it took seven Souls to create the Barrier it will take seven to take it down. That's all they told me, their fate after that isn't clear to me" – my gaze traveled down as thoughts raced through my mind.  
"Ya wanna stop?" – A deep voice asked and my head jolted up.  
Sans was standing in the gateway, his hands in his pockets, a wide grin on his face, yet his eyes revealed anger and disappointment. I couldn't read it well, but it didn't matter, nothing did, I knew what had to be done.  
I didn't know what would happen to the Souls, but it sure wasn't worse than being trapped in this darkness forever. I felt responsible for everyone else too, I gave them hope, I couldn't take it away when we came this far.  
"No" – I shook my head – "we were at fault of this to begin with, we have to face the consequences"

Ignoring everyone else I fixed my gaze at Frisk, Asgore behind him was trying his best to keep Flowey from falling, who was on his way to the king's shoulder.  
"I'm not sure how to do this" – I said when my brother came closer – "but those Souls won't listen to me. We'll need your help"  
I gestured towards the tall wall around the gateway: six small gaps covered with glass contained Souls of different colors, the only one missing was red of determination. Nodding my brother walked to the Souls and looking back at the king pointed at them. Asgore simply walked up to him and soon after their silent conversation the human Souls were out.  
I watched him run around "collecting" them in a specific order. I didn't try to understand why or how he was doing it, but the moment he reached out to any of the Souls it would float closer to him, calmly following him around.  
With all of them in place Frisk ran to the barrier and placed his small hand on it. The way he moved and acted made it seem like he knew exactly what to do, as if he had done it many times before.

A sudden piercing noise filled the room, like numerous sharp claws screeching against glass. It made me shut my ears and as an unknown fear crept into my mind: my eyes as well, but it didn't help. The fear grew, while the noise got louder then changed: something was shattering endlessly getting closer to me and I backed away into the embrace of the only pair of arms that felt safe.  
Soon silence fell around us. I slowly opened my eyes feeling few stray tears on my face as my trembling hands reached for Sans holding onto him.  
The fear disappeared leaving me to ponder why it grew in the first place, sure it was loud, but that was as far as it went, yet I felt dread nearing as if the world was ending right then and there. Sans was comforting me completely oblivious of what happened: another sound no one else could hear.  
"I'm fine" – I said giving him a reassuring smile, then looked back at the Barrier that was now replaced with emptiness – "it won't happen again"  
No one seemed to have noticed anything that happened to me, since everyone was facing forward with bright smiles and their expressions full of hope.  
I felt a familiar tranquility pass and somehow I knew that the cyan lake grew silent, its water lost its glow. I smiled to myself realizing that my friend too was free now, just like us.

"Stop flirting, punks!" – Undyne yelled from the middle of the cave – "we've got a world to explore!"  
Then turning around ran further and soon disappeared from sight. Frisk and Papyrus were on their way too, and only the royal family plus Flowey were staring at us awkwardly, though I was too happy to care.  
"Let's go" – I looked back at Sans excited to show him the mountain, the forest and the sky I so loved. Taking his hand I walked forward, my pace quickening the further I went. Sans' grip tightened as the smell of cold, fresh air filled my lungs, his usual smile was absent, yet his eyes were full of wonder.

A wintery mountain wind caressed my skin brushing away my tangled hair, quickened breath escaping my mouth turned into small ghostly clouds. Thin layer of snow was glittering gently under silver rays of full moon like diamond dust scattered on dark soil and ever-green fir.  
I looked up into clear night sky examining every star as if seeing them for the first time. Staring at those sparkling dots in vast darkness filled me with serenity and bliss I hadn't felt in a long time.  
Few monsters that walked out with me and Frisk remained silent for a long time absorbing the scenery.  
"It's beautiful" – whispered the queen's warm voice, a hint of wonder and awe in it.  
"It is" – nodded the king – "it's so nostalgic. Barely anything had changed"

Few more voices sounded, some quiet, others excited, but my mind blocked them out. At that moment I only wanted to see the nature, dark hills under the sky, golden lights of far-away town, to make sure this was real.  
It felt so strange: only few hours ago we were in Snowdin playing board games on skelebros' day off and now we were on top of the mountain we were all buried under, standing under the sky looking at the world all around, free to go where we please.  
"Kinda scary, isn't it?" – Sans held onto me, like a child would hold onto his mother.  
"We'll be fine" – I laughed, but the look on his didn't change as he kept watching the sky – "I'm with you, aren't I?"  
A smile crept onto his face as he glanced down, white pins in his eye sockets calming at last.

As I said that I realized something simple, something I always knew, but never put into words. No matter what we would always support each other and be there for each other: me, Sans, Papyrus, Frisk and Flowey, every single monster was like that.  
It would be tough on the surface, a lot tougher than in the Underground, but I knew we'd pull through and it will be worth it. And just like that the uneasiness and slight fear, I never realized I felt, left my mind and my Soul once again felt light.

Taking a deep breath I grinned widely, seemingly for the first time in forever.  
It seemed my journey was finally over.  
I was filled with DETERMINATION.

* * *

A/N

It's sad to end this story, but on the bright side it would mean more new ones. This might not be my best work, but it will surely stay with me for a very long time.  
I hope you enjoyed this little journey as much as I enjoyed writing it. And, honestly if not for your support I might not have finished it, so thank you for sticking with me for this long, it mean a lot to me.  
I would love to read your thoughts on this fanfic overall. What you like or disliked, or maybe something you'd like to see in my future works. And I sure hope to see you there.

Have a great day, night or whatever there might be at the moment.


End file.
